Interlude
by eorocks
Summary: Elliot decides to surprise Olivia and give them an opportunity for a break from the craziness of their job and the city.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hi! I know I've been promising my summer story, and here is the start of it. This one's a little different, as we're going out of state! And it's not summer, but it's along those lines (and it's summer here while I'm writing this). My stories lately have been long on angst and somewhat serious, so hopefully this will be fun. Thanks so much for reading all my stories and for leaving wonderful reviews. I really appreciate it! Here is the first chapter, centered around Olivia's birthday (February). I'm at the lake, so hopefully I have time to get out a few chapters in the next few days.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia swiped the black beanie off her head as she slid into the booth and rubbed her hands together. "I'm so sick of this cold." She complained as Elliot slid into the seat across from her.

"It's been miserable since the New Year." He agreed, unbuttoning his coat in the warmth of the restaurant. "But what're ya' gonna do?" He shrugged. "Only a couple more weeks until March, so maybe we'll get an early spring."

He looked across the table and saw the red in Olivia's cheeks and nose from the cold. Her hair was slightly messed up from her hat, and she looked annoyed. The weeks of cold weather had made their jobs miserable, and it was wearing on their nerves, and the moods of everyone in the city.

A young, male waiter brought them so water, and they both quickly asked for hot coffee. As he walked away, Elliot reached into his coat pocket. "Well…" He pulled an envelope from his pocket and held it in his hand. "I have something that may cheer you up." He said.

Olivia saw a mischievous grin on his face, and she narrowed her eyes slightly. "What?"

"Happy Birthday." Elliot said. "A few weeks early but…" He shrugged. "I couldn't wait."

Olivia took the envelope from his hands and held it, giving him a quizzical look. They didn't normally exchange birthday presents, so she was genuinely surprised by the gesture. She stared at the letter-sized envelope with her name scrawled on it in his almost unreadable script. Her fingers were itching to open it, but she looked back up at him. "We don't give each other birthday gifts." She said, as if giving him another chance to take it back.

"Are you gonna open it or not?" Elliot asked. He had planned on giving it to her at the end of the day, but he had barely been able to make it to lunch. He was pretty pleased with himself, and he hoped she was half as excited as he was.

Olivia fingered the envelope. She could feel there were papers inside, but it was very thin. "It's not something like a coupon for a free ride home or something, is it?" Elliot loved to joke and pull pranks sometimes, but not typically with her. But she didn't think he'd be this excited over a joke, and he was definitely anxious for her to open it.

"For God's sake Liv." He moved to snatch the envelope from her hand and open it himself, but she pulled her hand away.

"I'll _open_ it!" She said, unable to keep a smile off her face. Olivia wasn't used to surprises, and it gave her a bit of a thrill to think that Elliot had picked something out for her. She slipped her finger into the open edge and dragged it across, ripping the envelope along the top. A few sheets of paper were folded inside, and she pulled them out, opening them up completely as she let the envelope fall to the table. "What is this?" She asked, as she turned them right side up and straightened them out. Olivia furrowed her brow, trying to comprehend what she was looking at. "I don't understand."

"It's an itinerary. Flight info." Elliot said.

"Flight info?" Olivia asked, still processing the information.

"Yeah. You haven't been on a vacation in forever. And I know you always wanted to go to the Bahamas or somewhere in the Caribbean, but I didn't know if you had a passport and so I thought well…you can still go to the beach…" Elliot realized he was rambling, but it didn't matter, because Olivia still had a shocked expression on her face. "So, I bought you a ticket to Fort Lauderdale."

"You bought me an airline ticket?"

"Yes." Elliot said, nodding. He reached over and pointed at the paper. "And a week at the Boca Siega Resort. In Boca Raton."

Olivia was dumbfounded. "El…that's…" She looked back down at the paper, seeing the logo for a travel company, and then back up at Elliot. "That's…" She started to fold the paper back up. "That's very generous, but it's too much." She shook her head. She picked up the empty envelope, intent on stuffing the contents back inside.

Elliot furrowed his brows, and he grabbed her hands, stilling them. "I wanted to do this for you." He said.

"It's too expensive." Olivia said. "I know how much we make…."

"Olivia." Elliot said. He was getting slightly annoyed that she was objecting so heartily. "Please." He said, switching tactics. "Think about it. The sun…the sand…the water. A cold drink in your hand." He leaned back. "An escape from the cold and the snow…" He paused for a second; he could see his words were having the right effect. "Doesn't that sound fantastic?"

"Of course. It sounds wonderful." Olivia agreed.

"You never do anything for yourself." Elliot said quickly, before she could object again. "So, I thought I'd just plan it for you."

"I just…"

"Two weeks from now, we'll be sitting on the beach with cold beers in our hands, soaking up the sun."

Olivia was about to tell him it was too generous once again, when she paused. Had Elliot said _we_? "Wait…did you say we?" She asked.

Elliot nodded, getting a big grin on his face. "Did you think I was going to let you have all the fun?" He asked. "I booked a ticket for myself too. I'm as sick of this New York winter as you are, and I can't think of the last time I was on vacation." His voice trailed off as he said the last words when he saw the odd expression on Olivia's face. He realized then that maybe he'd made a huge mistake. He had acted on impulse, thinking it would be fun for them to get away. They got along well, and neither one of them really had anyone else to go on a trip with, and he could see them sitting at a small beach bar and having a drink or two and laughing…relaxing. But now, reading her expression, he realized all the errors in judgement. When people go on vacation, they usually want to get _away_ from the people they work with. And even though he considered her his best friend, they didn't really hang out together outside of work that much, especially alone. _They would be alone_. The thought hit him, and he realized how this must look to her now. "Liv…" He said, suddenly uncomfortable. "I guess I didn't really think this through." He gave her an uncomfortable little laugh. "You want to get away from work and all that…"

"No." Olivia said quickly. "It's…I'm just surprised." That was definitely an understatement. Elliot had definitely shocked her with this gift…but adding himself into the mix was a whole other level of surprise. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it. On one hand, they were great friends, and she could see how much fun it could be to go on a trip together. But she wondered if there had been anything else on his mind because they had been so careful all these years to keep temptation at bay and were in a place now where things were good. Despite Elliot's divorce being final in the past six months, they had maintained their routine, and life was good. _Was this his attempt to change that?_ Or was it really just two good friends going on vacation together? She looked across the table at him, trying to read his expression, but all she could see his doubt and maybe mild regret.

"I can change my ticket." Elliot said. "You can go on your own." He wanted to give her an out.

"Don't be silly." Olivia said, hoping she didn't regret her words. "It'll be fun." She saw that he didn't seem to be convinced that she was really okay with it. "It's no fun to go on vacation by yourself."

"Maybe you have someone else you'd rather take." Elliot said, hoping she didn't tell him that she had a boyfriend he didn't know about. She very well could; she didn't share that information with him anymore.

Olivia gave him a pained smile. "You know there's no one else." There would never be anyone else. Not as long as her heart belonged to Elliot. On some level he had to know that, but just as he'd kept his feelings under wraps, so had she. Those words had never been spoken.

Olivia started to really think about what a vacation with Elliot meant. She realized that this could be the opportunity they needed to get away from work…their lives…their routine. She gave Elliot a smile. "I'm glad you're coming with me." She leaned over and snaked her arm across the table, covering his hand with hers very briefly before pulling it away. "That was a very thoughtful gift, and I really appreciate it."

Elliot was still a little dubious. "I just want you to know that I wasn't thinking about this being…" _some kind of romantic getaway. Some kind of booty call._ His voice trailed off again because he didn't know how to finish that sentence that wouldn't make the situation even more awkward. "We're just two friends, going on vacation together."

Olivia bit back a smile, hearing the things he wasn't saying. She realized that when he had planned this trip, his intentions really had been simple. He was clearly embarrassed at how it looked, and he was falling all over himself to make it clear that it hadn't been his intent. However, she wondered if he was thinking differently now because he seemed to think that somehow, that was how she had interpreted it. Maybe it put a thought in his head that maybe…

She pushed those thoughts out of her mind. She was going to try not to read anything into what was on his mind, consciously or subconsciously. They had played this game for a long time, and it became exhausting to try to guess what the other was thinking or feeling. She had found it best not to overthink things.

Easier said than done sometimes.

Olivia gave Elliot a smile. "Two friends." She picked up the papers from where she had set them on the table and scanned for a date. "So…when are we leaving?"

Elliot relaxed slightly, glad to be talking about something concrete like dates and times. "A week from Saturday. Almost two weeks from now."

"Wow. I'll have to talk to Cragen."

"Already done." Elliot said. He had needed to be sure they could get the time off.

"And he didn't care that you were asking about _my_ vacation days?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow. What she really wanted to ask was how Cragen reacted to Elliot asking for vacation time for both of them at the exact same time.

"Well, of course you're going to have to ask for it officially, but I told him I was planning a surprise for you." Elliot thought about his brief meeting with Cragen to request the days off. He hadn't asked any questions…just pressed his lips together and nodded. Cragen hadn't asked for any information and Elliot hadn't provided any, but in hindsight, that should have maybe been his first clue that maybe planning a vacation with her partner was unusual. He had honestly been so excited about surprising her…and anxious to take a vacation himself, that he really hadn't thought it through.

Elliot watched as Olivia looked through the pages of the document. "Are you sure it's really okay? I mean…for me to go with you?"

Olivia was distracted by the information on the hotel, noting that the reservation had two rooms booked. She had assumed it would be so but seeing it in print made her relax just a bit. Elliot didn't have any ulterior motives; this was as innocent as he claimed it to be.

But…she would be lying to herself if she didn't recognize that she was a little disappointed.

Olivia set the sheaf of stapled pages down on the table. "El…this is an amazing gift. I really shouldn't accept it, but the more I think about laying in the sun and swimming in the ocean…" She closed her eyes and sighed. "It sounds heavenly." When she opened them again, she looked back at him. "No perps. No victims. No paperwork." She nodded. "We'll have a great time." She smiled again. "And if you get on my nerves, I'll let you know." She started to stuff the papers back into the envelope. "Besides, we don't have to spend every minute of every day together." She picked up the mug of hot coffee that the waiter had delivered. "I mean, we're both single now, so who knows, maybe you'll get lucky..." She took a drink, enjoying the reaction she saw on Elliot's face. "and you'll meet someone." She finished her sentence, biting back a smile.

In those moments, she had a whole new outlook on the trip. She was going to enjoy herself and not worry about what she should do and what she shouldn't do. Easier said than done, but she needed this trip. And really, if nothing else, they would come back rested and relaxed. There was no doubt they both needed it.

"Yeah." Elliot said. "Who knows?" He tried to write off her comment, but he'd seen her smile behind the mug of coffee. He wondered what she was thinking right now. He hadn't intended this trip to be anything other than what it appeared, but now he wondered if subconsciously, it was exactly what he'd intended. He decided then and there that he wasn't going to make any presumptions or act in any way other than ordinary. He'd see where the trip took them…and how Olivia let it play out. He listened while Olivia started rambling on about all the things she had to do before they left, but his mind was picturing them on a beach with a cold beer in his hand, and he couldn't wait to get on that airplane and jet away.


	2. Chapter 2

Olivia answered the moment she heard the knock on her door, since Elliot had texted and said he was downstairs. She saw Elliot standing there with his right arm braced against the door, giving her a big grin.

"Ready to go?" He asked, standing up. Olivia looked sleepy, but well put together, wearing jeans, a white V-neck t-shirt, and some kind of long black sweater (or jacket?) that looked incredibly soft and warm. She had sunglasses perched on top of her head, despite the fact that it was still pitch-black outside, and a big leather bag over her shoulder.

"What are you wearing?" She asked, motioning to his Springsteen t-shirt and shorts.

Elliot looked down at his shirt. "You don't like Springsteen?"

"That's not the point. The point is that it's 10 degrees outside."

"Yes, but it's 85 degrees in Boca."

"You're going to freeze before we get there."

"I can see that someone hasn't had their coffee yet this morning." Elliot said, brushing past her, into her apartment.

"No one has had their coffee yet." Olivia said pointedly. "It's 5:30 in the morning." She turned and watched Elliot grab the handle of her suitcase. She had debated leaving this early with him over the past few days, since their flight wasn't until almost 9. But he reminded of her traffic to JFK, as if she hadn't lived in NYC her entire life, and other potential delays, and promised her that she could sleep on the plane.

"You'll thank me when we make our flight." Elliot said, wheeling her suitcase towards the door. "Do you think you packed enough?" He teased as he passed her, and Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Why do I have a feeling that the t-shirt and shorts you have on are all that you have?" She shot back, playing along with the game.

"If everything goes as planned, I won't need any clothes." He said with a laugh, and then realized what he'd said as he saw the raised eyebrow from Olivia. "Get your mind out of the gutter Benson." He said. "I meant I'd be on the beach…in my swimsuit."

"Uh-huh." Olivia said, giving him a small smile as she closed and locked her door behind her. She could see that Elliot was a good mood, and even though she had struggled all week, deciding if this was going to be awkward or fun, she could see how a week of relaxation, sun, sand and cocktails could be a lot of fun. It would only be awkward if she let it be. She turned and followed Elliot as he bumped down the stairs with her suitcase, reminding herself to let things go and to have some fun.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot looked over at Olivia in the seat next to him. She had her head back and her eyes were closed, but he wasn't sure if she was sleeping yet or not. He had bought her coffee and breakfast at the airport after they had made their way through security, but he had seen the fatigue on her face. It had been a rough week in the city, and they had both logged a lot of hours. But it was probably better that they'd been busy, finding two runaway teens and arresting a man for abusing his wife, because it kept both of them from overthinking the trip. Olivia had subtly managed to ask what Kathy thought about his vacation, couching it as an inquiry about expectations for him to take the kids, or at least Eli, on a trip. But he had reminded her that his _ex-wife_ didn't get much of a say when it came to his vacation, that he already had something planned with Eli when he got back, and that the other kids had their own lives now. He had wanted to tell her that he didn't give a fuck what Kathy thought, but he knew the optics were what concerned Olivia. She had always been careful to ensure the rumors about them were dispelled and going on a trip together would most likely fuel the gossip mill for a while. No doubt John and Fin would add their own two cents, if the expressions on their faces were any indication.

"Why are you staring at me?" Olivia asked. She could feel Elliot's eyes on her.

"Just wondered if you were sleeping already." Elliot replied, turning to fiddle with the screen on the seat back in front of him.

"We haven't even taken off yet." Olivia said. She was really tired and wished she had gotten another coffee before they boarded. She was also a little nervous about flying. She hadn't had much experience, choosing to vacation at home or within driving distance if she ever did take any time off.

Elliot could tell that she was tense. "You okay?" He asked.

"I'm just tired." She said, staring out the window and watching the ground crew move around and prepare them for takeoff. She turned back to Elliot. "And I just don't have a lot of experience flying."

Her admission surprised Elliot; Olivia never admitted any kind of weakness. He wasn't going to say anything. "Just close your eyes…" He reached out and placed his hand over hers on the armrest. "And we'll be there before you know it." He noticed that she didn't object to his touch and he debated about leaving his hand there or removing it. But Olivia adjusted herself in her seat and closed her eyes, and he thought that maybe he was providing some kind of comfort.

At least, that's what he told himself.

EOEOEO

Olivia heard someone saying her name, and as she swam to consciousness, she realized it was Elliot's voice. She slowly opened her eyes, and realized she had her head laying on Elliot's shoulder. It took her a moment to place where she was and then it all came back into sharp focus. She was on an airplane, on her way to Florida, with Elliot. And she had been sleeping on his shoulder.

Olivia sat up quickly and moved back in her seat, running her hands through her hair.

"We're landing." Elliot said, seeing the flush of embarrassment in her cheeks at being caught sleeping against him. He wanted to tell her that he hadn't minded at all. That the wonderful smell of her shampoo mingled with her perfume or body wash, or whatever had been, was intoxicating, and that he had loved watching her sleep. Of course, he would never say that. Not in a million years. And so, he deflected, refocusing her on other things while she got herself together. "There should be a car waiting for us at baggage claim."

"A car?" Olivia asked, thankful that Elliot didn't say anything about her napping against him. "That seems extravagant."

"Only the best this week." Elliot said. "You're getting the full princess treatment."

Olivia wanted to laugh. She was anything but a princess and she told him so.

"Maybe so." Elliot said. "But it's your birthday week, and everyone deserves to be pampered a bit. You never do that stuff for yourself, so I'm going to spoil you a little."

Olivia wanted to object, but she knew it would be pointless. She had already argued with him this past week about paying for food and drinks while they were down here, and he had acquiesced on that point. But there was no way he was going to budge on any other items he had up his sleeve. "Just as long as you don't expect to be treated like royalty when your birthday rolls around." She teased. But Elliot didn't have time to respond, because Olivia gasped as the wheels hit the runway.

Their vacation had officially begun.

EOEOEOEO

It was after 1 when they landed in Fort Lauderdale, and they collected their bags and found their car easily. Olivia was already peeling off her sweater as the driver loaded their bags, and she was jealous of Elliot's shorts and t-shirt in that moment. The heat was surprising for mid-February, and she was anxious to get to the hotel and change.

The driver held the door open for her and she slid into the leather backseat, noting the cool temperature in the SUV. He obviously had the air conditioning working at max capacity. Elliot asked how long until they reached the resort, and Olivia was surprised when she heard it would be at least an hour. He mumbled something about the horrible traffic in Miami, but she was already sliding her sweater back on her body.

They were both relatively quiet during the first part of the ride, but she could feel Elliot's excitement. He was almost like a little kid, and Olivia realized she never really saw this side of Elliot very much. She had seen him at the odd event for his kids, when she was invited to a birthday party or for some holiday meal. But in those situations, he played the dutiful father and husband, and she wouldn't call those situations relaxing. In fact, they'd gotten more tense as the years had gone on, until one day, she noticed that she wasn't even invited anymore. A decision no doubt made by Kathy and not debated by Eliot.

It was fine. She had felt out of place in that life anyway.

"So, I say we check in and get changed, and then explore the hotel. Get a late lunch." Elliot said. He knew it was going to be 3:00 by the time they checked in and got settled. Too late to head out to the beach for any kind of sun and swimming. "I know you must be hungry because you missed the wonderful meal on the plane."

"A little." They'd had a big breakfast at JFK, so she wasn't really hungry. But by the time they checked in and everything, she knew she'd be up for a bite. "Sounds like a good plan."

She listened as Elliot pointed out some beautiful houses and other sights along the way, as if he needed to fill the silence. It was at least a half an hour later when they finally pulled up to the resort, and Olivia's mouth opened slightly as she took it all in. She had done some research online, looking at posted photos of the rooms and the grounds. But now, seeing it in person, she realized what a luxurious resort this was. The high, stucco walls were painted a cream color, and there was a large arch they drove through to the front doors. There were flowers everywhere. Brightly colored hibiscus and other flowers she didn't even know the names of. There was staff everywhere, wearing pressed white uniform shirts and shorts, and a line of expensive cars parked near the door, waiting for their owners.

Olivia turned to Elliot. "This is breathtaking."

Elliot heard the delight in her voice, and it was exactly the reaction he had hoped for. He wanted to delight and surprise her…to see her beautiful smile. It had been so long; she had seemed so worn down by all the cases and the victims and the winter and life in general. "I'm glad you like it." He said. The excitement in her voice was contagious, and he grinned as the SVU came to a stop.

The passenger door opened on her side, and a young valet was there, reaching for her hand. Olivia looked back at him and then back at the valet and took his proffered hand, stepping down from the vehicle.

"Welcome to The Boca Siega Resort." He said, flashing her a smile.

"Thank you." Olivia said, flashing Elliot a smile as he exited the car behind them.

"Check-in is through those doors." He continued. "I'll get your things."

Elliot held out an arm. "After you." He said. Olivia brushed past him as someone opened the door for her, and he followed her inside. The lobby was as beautiful as the outside, with large green plants and flowers everywhere imaginable. They walked to the desk, where they were met by a concierge, and she checked them both in.

"Your rooms are right next to each other." The young woman said. "You have a wonderful view of the beach and the grounds, and you each have access to our 24-hour concierge service." The woman slipped them a card. "Contact us at any time at this number."

Olivia looked over at Elliot, wondering just how much Elliot had spent on this trip. Whatever it was, it was surely too much. She'd have to figure out how to repay him at some point.

Elliot saw the smile on Olivia's face. It hadn't left her face since they had pulled into the hotel. "I told you you'd like this place." He whispered as the valet motioned for them to go ahead of him.

Ten minutes later, he had unloaded their bags in each of their rooms and had explained how everything worked. As soon as he left, Elliot heard a knock on his door, and opened it to see Olivia standing there.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, seeing a slightly nervous look on her face.

Olivia swept into his room and moved towards the windows. Each of their rooms was a 2-room suite, and they were in a small tower, each with a corner room. It allowed for a beautiful view of the beach, and the grounds on his left, and in her room, to her right. "Have you looked out the window?" She asked, leaning against the window frame and admiring the view."

"Only the best." Elliot said.

Olivia turned to face him and saw him walking towards her. "This is…" She didn't have the words. The amount of thought he'd put into this, and the expense. It was far and above what she would ever have expected. She walked over and wrapped her arms around him in an unexpected hug. "Thank you." She whispered.

Elliot was surprised by the gesture, but he couldn't react quickly enough and in the next moment, she had released him. He saw a slight blush on her cheeks as she headed towards the door. "I'm going to get unpacked and changed." She said, without looking back at him. "Meet me in 30."

Elliot watched as the door closed behind her, anxious for 30 minutes to go by.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I know I'm giving you short updates, but I want to keep this moving along!

EOEOEOEO

It didn't take Elliot long to unpack, but he did opt to change out his t-shirt for a short-sleeved, collared shirt. He figured a t-shirt might be fine if they were headed for the beach, but maybe not for a stroll around the grounds. He was pretty happy that he'd been able to pull this off; it was even nicer than he had imagined. Having a cousin that was a travel agent and that owed him a favor had helped knock the price down a little, making this doable. He was going to take advantage of all the amenities this place had to offer. He had wanted to spoil Olivia a little, but he hadn't had a decent vacation himself in years.

Elliot looked at his watch and saw 25 minutes had passed.

Close enough.

He slid his room key into the pocket of his shorts and let the hotel door close behind him. Two seconds later he was knocking on Olivia's door. It didn't take her long to answer, and when she opened the door, he had to take a step back.

Olivia had changed into a simple, white sundress, but it was such a juxtaposition from her daily wear in the precinct, he did a double take. It wasn't anything fancy at all; just thin straps tied at her shoulders, a V-neck top that was fitted at the waist, and a skirt that ended mid-way down her thighs. He couldn't help taking it all in, noting her bare legs and the tan sandals on her feet. The normal accessories of a gun and badge had been replaced with thin gold bangles around her right wrist and another necklace around her neck. The white was stunning against her olive skin, and the transformation had left him without words.

"You changed." Olivia remarked, noting the Springsteen t-shirt was gone. She leaned in a little. "Are those little palm trees on your shirt?"

Elliot mumbled a yes, getting a whiff of perfume as she moved closer.

"I like it." She said. Olivia moved to walk back into her room, leaving Elliot to follow. She liked the idea that he had changed, but those short-sleeved shirts were going to be the death of her this week. Elliot still worked out religiously, and the sight of his bare arms always did something to her.

She had noticed him take her in as well, and she was happy that she had kept the sundress on. She had stood in front of the mirror for at least five minutes, turning this way and that. She had gained weight over the past several years, and while she still stayed in shape, she was definitely bigger in the hips and ass…all over if she was being honest. She had been worried that white wasn't the right choice.

Elliot walked in, letting the door close behind him. He saw the Olivia's suite was setup just like his, except opposite. He walked into the living room, with a bank of windows that overlooked the beach. The room was set up in an upside-down L formation, so to the right of the living room was a table and chairs set in the corner of the room. If he turned to the right, there was the bedroom. There wasn't a wall or door separating them, so he could see Olivia's suitcase still laying on the bed, with clothing strewn on the bed. Olivia had disappeared into the bathroom, and she called out to him.

"I'll just be a minute."

Elliot wandered over towards the bed. "Doesn't look like you had time to unpack." He said, a little louder than usual so she could hear him.

"I wanted to shower and get that airplane stink off me." She said. She poked her head around the corner, a mascara wand in her hand. "I'll put everything away later." She said as she ducked back into the bathroom.

Elliot lifted his arm to his nose, wondering if he should have taken a shower. _Airplane stink?_ But he could still smell his body wash from this morning, so he shrugged his shoulders.

His eyes roved over the contents of her suitcase, and he was surprised by how many clothes she'd brought along. He saw dresses and shorts and shirts of all colors, and then his eyes landed on a pile of swimsuits. There were several, already out of the suitcase and laying on the bed, and the reality of it hit him. _He was going to see Olivia in a swimsuit_. On some level, he had known that, but seeing the mix of them here on the bed sent images flying through his mind. There were one-piece suits and bikinis, and he swallowed hard. Before he knew what he was doing, he picked up a black bikini bottom, fingering the material and thinking that it seemed so small. _Jesus._ He swallowed hard, and dropped them, feeling like a pervert standing there and having those thoughts while Olivia was right in the next room.

"What are you doing?" Olivia asked. She came out of the bathroom and noticed a flush on Elliot's neck, and he looked up at her with a guilty expression on his face.

"What?" Elliot took a step backwards. "Nothing. Nothing." He repeated, thinking he sounded like an idiot. "I was just…you brought along a lot of clothes." He said, trying to save himself.

"Yeah." Olivia said. "Well, I wasn't quite sure what to bring, so I brought it all." She scooped up some of the items on the bed and dumped them back into the open suitcase. "And I may have done some shopping." She smoothed her hands down the skirt of her dress. "There's not much call from a white sundress in February in the city." She looked up at him. "Do you like it?" She asked, giving him a small smile.

Elliot looked back up at her, surprised by the question. She had seen him looking her up and down when she'd answered the door, so she already knew the answer. Was this some form of flirting…trying to elicit a compliment from him? "I like it. A lot." He added. A plethora of descriptive words came to mind, but he didn't feel brave enough to tell her she looked beautiful or stunning. "Summer looks good on you."

Olivia smiled, watching him struggle with what to say when put on the spot. "Thank you." She said, cutting him some slack. "Let's get lunch."

They wandered through the grounds, seeing the area of what were sure to be very expensive shops, a coffee shop, a deli, and an ice cream and candy store. They also passed several other restaurants, including a sushi place, a steakhouse, and Italian restaurant and something that looked like it served more casual fare. As they walked, they saw a sign directing guests towards the spa, and Olivia mentioned that maybe they should look into getting massages. As they wandered outside, they consulted a map and found that there were three different pool areas, and that one was off-limits to kids. They circled the pools, noting that each was busy, which was somewhat insane since the beach was just a few feet away.

Each pool had a bar and casual restaurant adjacent to it, and they decided to eat at the one that faced the beach. It was called Palm Court and Olivia commented on the lack of imagination when it came to naming things at the resort.

They found a small table with an umbrella and sat down. The air was humid, but there was a breeze coming off the ocean that made the heat slightly more tolerable.

"It's already almost 4." Olivia said. "I can't imagine what the heat's going to be like in the middle of the day."

"It'll be perfect for being on the beach." Elliot said. "I plan on dragging one of those chairs into the water and having someone deliver food and drinks to me all afternoon." He pointed at the large blue umbrellas on the beach, each with two lounge chairs beneath. "I think we have to reserve those or rent them or whatever." He said. "We should do that for the week, so we always have a spot."

"Or we can lay a towel on the sand." Olivia said, noting the colorful towels that dotted the beach.

"You're not thinking like a princess." Elliot said, and he watched Olivia roll her eyes as the waiter came to take their order. "Let's have a drink." He looked up at the waiter. "Do you have a special today? Something ridiculously tropical with little umbrellas in it?" He knew he was being a tourist, but he didn't care. He wanted to have some fun.

"Yes sir. We have our Blue Hawaii drink today. It has Blue Curacao and Rum…"

"We'll take two of those." Elliot said, not even letting him finish.

Olivia raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Seems as if they were going to really get this vacation going. They both ordered their food, and the waiter disappeared.

Olivia noticed two women walk by wearing very small bikinis. They both eyed Elliot, not even giving her a second glance. "Looks like you already have two admirers." Olivia said, taking a drink of water.

Elliot didn't even turn his head. "They were probably looking at you." He teased. He wasn't interested in meeting anyone down here.

"No. They were very specifically looking at you." She said.

Elliot wanted to ask if she was jealous, but it seemed a little too personal right now. Especially when they were alone, on vacation, together. He could get away with teasing about that in the squad room or in a group, but right now? No.

The waiter delivered their drinks, and Elliot was glad for the diversion.

"You know…" Olivia started. "Everyone that sees us is going to assume we're here together."

Elliot shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his drink. It was really strong, but really good, and he took another large sip.

"I don't want to be a cock-blocker."

Elliot almost spit out his drink. He couldn't believe Olivia had just said that. Then he started laughing. "Even after all these years, you still surprise me." he said. He leaned forward slightly. "I'm not here to meet someone or to…you know." He said, leaning back in his chair. "The only person I want to hang out with is you." He added, just to make sure she knew that he was serious. He took another sip of his drink, watching her face, but she seemed to be considering what he said. "Unless…" He didn't want to say the words, but he had to know. "If you want to…you know…meet someone or…" He had no doubt that if he left Olivia alone, she'd have plenty of guys hitting on her. "I don't want to ruin your chances."

"Well, there is a guy over there at the bar that's wearing a Speedo that looks pretty good…" She watched as Elliot's head swung over towards the bar, looking at the people lined up at the bar. He found the man in the Speedo about 30 seconds in…a man that must have been in his 70's if not 80's…and a huge laugh erupted as he turned his gaze back to Olivia.

"I knew you liked older men…" He teased. "But that's going a little too far."

Olivia smiled. "Elliot. We're both here for the same reason. I have no interest in any casual flings at the beach. In fact, I'm glad people will assume we're a couple because that'll reduce the number of times I have to deal with horrible pick-up lines and free drinks with strings attached."

"Yeah, must be hell being a beautiful woman."

"I'm serious." Olivia said. She could only imagine if she spent the day at the beach alone. Men couldn't comprehend that she might just be there to enjoy the beach, and that she could be having a good time without them.

"So am I." Elliot said. He'd watched guys hit on Olivia any number of times. Sometimes at the most inappropriate places, such as a crime scene. She always gracefully deflected, but he knew it must get annoying.

Olivia blushed slightly, and she'd like to think it was the heat and the alcohol, but she knew it was Elliot's comment. She took another quick sip of her drink, and watched another woman sitting at the pool eyeing Elliot. She reached across the table and rested her hand over his and smiled triumphantly when she saw the woman look away. When her eyes moved back to Elliot's, she saw the look on his face, and she pulled her hand back quickly. "Thank you."

Elliot was taking great joy in seeing Olivia be flustered. The entire conversation was so unlike them; they rarely talked about things so personal as dating and hookups and casual sex. They were in uncharted territory, and he liked it.

"So…" He said. "Now that we got that out of the way, how about another drink?"

Olivia watched as he signaled the waiter and it was moments later that they had another drink in front of them. The drinks were strong, and she knew she was going to have to pace herself or she'd be drunk very soon. But the cool breeze was blowing, the sun was shining down on them and Elliot was smiling at her, and in that moment, she knew there was no place she'd rather be.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Here I am! Don't worry…I will never, ever abandon a story. It just sometimes takes me a bit to update when life is crazy. I know it's been a rough time for many, so hopefully this next chapter will give you a brief respite from whatever life is throwing at you.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia could feel the edges getting fuzzy after the third drink, despite the lunch she'd had. They had been sitting at this same table for a couple of hours, and she needed to get up and move. Or go back to her room and take a nap.

"I need to get up." Olivia said. "I mean…we need to get moving." She took a sip of water. "I need to clear my head."

Elliot smirked. The drinks had been strong, but he'd never known Olivia to be a lightweight. Of course, they were usually drinking beer, and over a longer period of time. "Do you want to walk the beach?" He asked. "Or maybe go for a swim?" It was very late afternoon, and the pool had died down considerably. He assumed that most people had spent the day in the sun and had gone upstairs for a nap and a shower before dinner. "We would have the pool to ourselves." He added.

"I don't want to swim." Olivia said, pushing herself up from her chair. "I'm trying to decide what I want to do." She could feel a light sheen of perspiration on her skin, and was rethinking the swim when Elliot piped in.

Elliot looked at his watch. It was only 5:00. "OK, as I see it, we have two options. One, we can go back to our rooms and take a nap and have some down time, and then meet up again for dinner around 8. Or we can go walk for a while and have an earlier dinner and go to bed early. Start fresh tomorrow. We don't have to do everything today."

Olivia considered those options, but despite her nap on the plane, she was tired. "I think I'd like to lay down for a while."

Elliot nodded. They headed back inside the hotel, and agreed on a time to meet for dinner, deciding to try the steakhouse tonight. The elevator ride was quiet, and Elliot thought they'd made a good choice. They needed to be wary of those drinks and maybe pace themselves a little. When the elevator doors opened, he put his hand on the small of Olivia's back, guiding her lightly while barely touching her. She either didn't notice or didn't mind. They reached Elliot's door first, and she turned suddenly, nearly bumping into him.

"I know I already told you this." Olivia said, resting her wrists lightly on his shoulders. "But thank you for this."

Elliot could hear a breathiness in her tone, and he knew he must be a little drunk too because for a moment, he wondered if she was going to kiss him. Then she pulled her arms from his shoulders and turned towards her room. "See you at 7:30."

EOEOEOEO

Elliot woke with a start and immediately looked at his watch. He hadn't really planned on sleeping, but he had crashed hard, and it felt like it had been hours.

7:25.

_Great_.

He texted Olivia, asking her to give him 20 minutes, and ran into the bathroom. He had peeled off his clothes when he got a reply. _Relax. We're on vacation. Just knock on my door when ready._ He knew it was true, but they did have an 8PM reservation.

He wouldn't need that much time.

Elliot jumped in the shower, trying to shake the fog from his sleep-addled brain. The combination of a sleepless night, an early morning, the travel and the drinks had taken its toll more than he had realized, and he was glad that each of them had taken some down time. He was looking forward to a nice long dinner tonight, and if they hadn't, he wasn't sure how late they'd be able to stay up.

He was toweling off five minutes later and looking at the options for clothes in his closet. He knew he had to wear pants, so he pulled out a pair of tan trousers and a white, button-down shirt. He'd keep the floral designs and printed t-shirts for daytime. He pulled on the shirt and rolled up the sleeves a little to give it a more casual look. He left the top two buttons undone and splashed on a little cologne. It wasn't a romantic evening, but that didn't mean he couldn't dress things up a bit. He was pretty certain that Olivia would be wearing a dress, and he didn't want to look like the hired help standing next to her.

As it turned out, he needn't have worried. Olivia was wearing a simple, black dress, but she looked like a million dollars. No one was even going to look at him while she was standing by his side.

Which was just fine with him. Because while everyone else was looking, he'd be walking along side of her…sitting across the table from her all evening…and escorting her back to her room at the end of the night.

He was sitting across from her now, and she was sipping on a glass of wine while they waited for their dinner. They were making plans to hit the outdoor café for coffee and a light breakfast before they planted themselves on the beach all day. Luckily, they both agreed on having a lazy day, saving more adventurous plans for subsequent days. The concierge service had been helpful in reserving an umbrella and lounge chairs from them, and they could both already feel the sand between their toes.

When dinner was over, they both agreed that they weren't tired, and there was a pause while they both deliberated how to spend their evening. Neither one of them was used to having all this time together without paperwork and interviews and a million other things to fill up their time.

"I don't really feel like going to the bar." Olivia said. She had only had a couple of glasses of wine, and felt relaxed, and that's exactly how she wanted to stay. She wasn't up for a night of drinking.

"Yeah, I hear you." Elliot agreed. "How about a nighttime stroll on the beach?" He worried that it sounded too romantic, but the weather was beautiful, and he wanted to enjoy it. "I don't want to be cooped up inside."

"That sounds great." Olivia said. She slid out of her seat as Elliot stood up. "I didn't escape a New York winter to sit inside."

"Do you want to change?" Elliot asked. Her dress was sleeveless, but had a longer skirt, and he wasn't sure if she would be able to walk through the sand.

Olivia ran her hand along her skirt and pulled the silky material to the side slightly, showing a slit in the material he hadn't noticed before. "I'll be just fine."

Elliot tried not to stare at her bare thigh, but she waited a moment before letting the material fall back into place. He looked up at her and caught a small smile on her face and one arched eyebrow.

"Oh. Well…" He stumbled over his words. "Good. OK." He motioned towards the door. "After you."

They wove their way through the expanse of the hotel until they finally reached the pool area. There were still a few people lounging in the blue water, but the sun was starting to set, and Olivia felt a cool breeze coming off the ocean. It still felt warm after the air conditioning in the hotel, but it was a respite from the heat that the daytime sun had brought. It ruffled her hair and she turned her face up slightly to capture it.

This entire situation still felt a little surreal. Elliot had dressed up for dinner, and she had gotten a whiff of cologne as they had entered the elevator. He'd had a smile on his face all through dinner, and while she was trying hard not to attach any emotions or speculation to the evening, she couldn't forget the way his eyes had lingered on her bare thigh. Even the small things, like the way his hand rested ever-so-lightly on the small of her back and the opening of doors were a change for them; she would never had let that happen back in New York. There…where they were partners…equals…she would have given him grief for things like that. But here…it seemed right. It made Olivia realize just how far they really were from their so-called normal lives. They were more relaxed. The rules were more relaxed. And she was enjoying it.

She thought Elliot was too.

Olivia reminded herself not to read into the million little details, but it was almost impossible not to. She wondered what was going through his mind right now.

"Liv?"

Olivia looked up and saw Elliot standing next to her with a questioning look on his face. "Yeah?" She asked.

"Did you change your mind?" Elliot asked. Olivia had stopped at the edge where the stamped concrete met the sand, and he wondered if she was having second thoughts.

"What?" Olivia was confused by Elliot's question but then she realized that she must have been the one that stopped. "No. I'm…no."

Elliot saw the slight fluster on her face, and he knew she must have been lost in thought. He'd give a million dollars to know exactly what she'd been thinking about.

He assumed it was similar to what had been going through his mind all night. As he'd sat across from her in that dining room, he'd allowed himself to imagine what this life could be like. It hadn't been dreams of hopefulness, but just possibilities. He had reminded himself that he would let her take the lead on just how relaxed they were going to be around each other this week, but it already seemed promising. It was amazing what a change in venue could do for the mind, body and soul.

"El?"

He looked up and saw it was he that was distracted this time, and he let out a laugh. "Let's go." He watched as Olivia slipped off her sandals, and headed into the loose, white sand. He slipped off his loafers, and followed her, watching as the shoes dangled from her hands. The wind was blowing a little harder and it blew her hair backwards, and her skirt billowed around her legs. He watched as she grabbed at it a few times, and he assumed that she was worried it was going to fly up completely. But the entire scene in front of him felt freeing somehow, as if the ocean breeze was carrying away all the stress and woe from their lives. He saw another gust of wind toy with the loose material around her legs, and her laugh as she tried to grab at the elusive material. The laugh was long and loud, and it made his heart leap to her the sound of happiness from her. It reminded him that he didn't hear that sound often enough, and he wanted to hear it again and again. He was going to make that happen.

Elliot jogged slightly to catch up with her. He slid his hand into her free hand and pulled her along with him. "C'mon." They reached the water's edge and Olivia let out a small yelp as the cold water hit her toes.

Olivia was momentarily startled by how cold the water felt after the warm sand, but her feet sunk into the muddy sand and lapped at her ankles and she stood there, taking in the vast ocean in front of her. Elliot was still holding her hand, and she wondered if she should pull away. But then he was grasping it more firmly and tugged at it as he headed off down the beach.

"I say we go this way." Elliot said. They really hadn't explored the beach much, but he knew if they went to the right, they'd hit a rocky outcropping that signaled the end of the beach in that direction. He had seen that much from the pool this afternoon. The resort stretched on, and he thought there was probably resorts lined up along the beach; hopefully they could walk for awhile without anything else stopping them.

Elliot had felt the hesitation in Olivia's hand as he clasped it, and he had squeezed it slightly, letting her know he had no issue. But he wondered if it made her feel uncomfortable. He glanced over at her, thinking he would gauge her expression, but she was looking ahead at the beach and the waves, and he couldn't tell. He swung their hands forward a little. "This okay?" he asked.

Olivia looked over at him and gave him a small smile. A smartass comment came to mind immediately but was gone before she could put a voice to it. "Yeah." She nodded. "It's okay." She glanced back at the beach in front of her, feeling a flush creep into her cheeks and she wondered what the hell had gotten into her tonight. She couldn't keep the small smile from forming, tugging at the corners of her mouth. "This is so beautiful." She said, trying to raise a distraction, and then she laughed as the small sandpipers ran towards the water's edge, and then back the other way as the waves crashed to shore. "And peaceful."

Elliot took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "This is perfect."

They walked along in silence for quite a while, watching families with small children drag their kids away from the buckets, shovels and sandcastles, and other couples strolling along as they were, or snuggled in a cabana at the water's edge. Everyone was squeezing out the last rays of sun and as the red-orange sphere dipped towards the dusky spot where the sky met the water, he paused, forcing Olivia to stop as well. They both turned to watch, and in the next few minutes, the sun slipped into the dark water. Elliot squeezed Olivia's hand. "Perfect."


	5. Chapter 5

Elliot and Olivia had wandered off the resort property at one point, but the sandy stretch of beach led to one resort after another. They had seen sand volleyball courts and stacks of lounge chairs, and dozens of people peppering the beach here and there. When they neared the end of the third resort property, they heard music. In the distance, they could see a small pier jutting out from the water, and what looked like a small bar sitting on it. They could hear the tinny sound of the music, and see lights strung down the building, and as they walked closer, they could hear the chatter and laughter of people from the outdoor bar. They didn't even question each other, but headed towards the sounds, still hand in hand. It was only as they came closer, out of the darkness of the beach and into the light, that Olivia pulled her hand from Elliot's.

There was only a couple of steps onto the small pier, and the bar took up the entirety of it. There was a thatched roof, probably more for the theme than practicality, and the structure was open to the water. There were huge posts holding up the roof throughout, and tables inside and outside of the structure. There was a u-shaped bar in the middle, and at the very end, they could make out a small stand where a DJ was playing music and riling up the crowd. The small bar was obviously the place to be, as it was crowded. People had pulled extra chairs up to small tables, and there were several other tables that were taller scattered throughout as well. It appeared to be mostly tourists, but Olivia noticed a few people that she suspected may be locals, or maybe people that worked here and were off duty. There was an empty space in the middle that served as a dance floor, and several people were moving to the upbeat music.

Elliot tried to say something to Olivia, but the din was deafening after the quiet of the beach, so he just motioned towards the bar. As they neared, he saw someone get up from one of the tall bar stools, and he snagged it quickly, motioning for Olivia to sit down. Surprisingly, she accepted his chivalrous offer, and he watched as she settled herself on the backless stool. He realized they both still had their shoes in their hands, and he looked around quickly to see if anyone had noticed. But it seemed pretty much come as you are, with people in swimsuits, shorts, and all kinds of attire…and many had bare feet…as if they'd just come from the beach. He shrugged his shoulders and dropped his shoes on the floor, and saw Olivia do that same.

The bartender was there in a moment, and Olivia leaned over and ordered two beers. She wasn't going to drink any of those fruity drinks tonight. She needed to keep her head clear. She was starting to get used to the noise, and she glanced around the bar. Everyone had a smile plastered on their face, and she loved the vibe. The resort was beautiful…but this place was…

"This place seems like a lot of fun." Elliot said, trying to be heard over the crowd. He took one of the beers that were delivered and took a sip.

Olivia laughed. "You read my mind." It wasn't the first time, and she imagined it wouldn't be the last. The bartender gave her the bill for $6.00 and she raised an eyebrow. She flashed the tab at Elliot. "At these prices, I think we will be coming here a lot." She said. Olivia slipped a $10 bill out of the hidden pocket of her dress and slipped it across the bar, hoping the big tip would win him over and keep the drinks coming.

"Isn't this place great?"

Olivia heard a voice over her shoulder, and she swiveled in her chair to see the woman that had asked the question. She saw a woman about her age, with short brown hair and a tanned face with a slight sunburn across the bridge of her nose and under her eyes. This obviously wasn't her first day here, but she wasn't a native.

"Seems like it." Olivia said. She could feel Elliot move a little more closely to her, now that her back was to him. The move seemed slightly territorial, and she bit back a small smile. "This is the first time we've been here."

The woman smiled broadly, and Olivia wondered how many drinks she'd had, but then again, she knew her judgement was probably jaded. People weren't always overly friendly in the city and she had to remind herself that they weren't at home anymore. "We've been here a couple of days." The woman said, gesturing to the man sitting on the other side of her. He was actively engaged in a conversation with someone to his right and had his back to her. But Olivia watched the woman elbow him, and he turned towards them then with a question on his face. "What?" He asked.

"My name is Gina. And this…" She gestured backwards with her thumb extended. "is Chris."

Olivia watched as Chris's eyes moved between her and Elliot, and then he stuck out his hand over the woman's shoulder. She had no choice but to take it. "I'm Olivia." She heard Elliot introduce himself and he shook Chris's hand as well.

"When did you guys get here?" Gina asked. "Where are you guys from?"

Olivia was annoyed by the rapid-fire questions at first, but then she did detect a slight slur in Gina's speech and saw her smile, and Olivia knew she needed to lighten up. "This is our first day." She glanced back at Elliot. "We're from New York City." Both of them had agreed not to talk about work, or mention they were cops. It just brought up too many questions.

"Oooh. I've always wanted to go to New York City." Gina said. "We're from Ann Arbor. Michigan." She added.

Olivia knew she should have pegged them as being from the Midwest, but again, she had to remind herself to stop being a New Yorker herself and relax. She downed the last of her beer and ordered another, and Elliot did the same and they settled into conversation with Gina and Chris.

An hour later, they were laughing and talking, and had managed to learn a little bit about Ann Arbor and a little bit about New York, but the conversation hadn't gotten too personal. When Chris dragged Gina out on to the dance floor, Olivia turned towards Elliot. She found that he was close, and her knees brushed against his thighs as she swiveled on the stool. She saw his eyes drop down to her bare thigh; the slit in her skirt having let the material slide to either side of her thigh as she sat with her left leg crossed over her right. "They're fun." Olivia said, drawing his attention back up to her face.

"Yeah." Elliot said. "At first, I could tell you were annoyed…"

Olivia laughed. "I know. I'm horrible. But I didn't want to be stuck with some couple from some podunk town and end up listening to stories about their 16 kids and volunteer work." She picked up her beer and took a long drink. "You can take the girl out of New York City but…" She let him fill in the blank on that one as she finished her beer and set it down on the bar.

"I did take the girl out of New York City…" Elliot said, smiling down at her. "And I'm glad she's lightening up and having a good time."

"I am." Olivia gave Elliot a genuine smile. "I can't believe we've only been here for one day. Less than a day." She let out a contented sigh. "It seems like…" She couldn't even put it to words.

Elliot nodded. New York and the cases and the victims had faded quickly, and he was thankful for that. "Yeah." He agreed. He leaned in slightly, feeling her foot slip between his knees as he moved slightly closer. "So… the only question is…am I going to get you out on that dance floor?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"You like to dance?" Olivia asked, surprised by his question. Elliot didn't seem like the type to shake things up on the dancefloor.

Elliot shrugged. "When in Rome…"

Olivia hesitated because it really wasn't something she usually enjoyed. But she pushed it aside. "Why not?" She took Elliot's proffered hand and headed off to join Gina and Chris.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia groaned as the sunlight hit her in the face. She rolled over on her stomach and buried her face in her pillow. It was too early, and she cursed the fact that she hadn't closed the room darkening shades before she'd gone to bed. Now, she was either going to have to get up and close them or try to fall back asleep with the sun shining so brightly.

Maybe it wasn't as early as she thought, but she and Elliot hadn't made it back to the hotel until some time after 3PM and she felt like she'd been sleeping for all of 20 minutes. Fragments of memories from the night before came filtering back into her mind. The beach…the drinks…the dancing…the flirting. It had been fun to just let go like that without scrutiny from the outside world, but now, in the light of morning, she wondered if she'd let things go too far.

She convinced herself she hadn't.

But a part of her wished that maybe she had. She remembered the way Elliot eyes had lingered on her bare skin and she felt a small shiver pass through her body. The intensity of those eyes…

Olivia groaned and rolled over onto her back, shielding her eyes from the sun as she glanced at the clock.

She groaned again when she saw it was already 10AM. She and Elliot had agreed to call off their plans for breakfast, and to just meet at their reserved chairs on the beach on their own schedule, but she knew if she didn't show up at a reasonable time, he would be knocking on her door.

Thirty minutes later, she headed towards the door, ready to find a large coffee and her beach chair and settle in for a sun nap.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot looked at his watch for about the tenth time, wondering when Olivia was going to show up. They had been up late the night before, but the sun shining in his room had beckoned him and he had headed down early. He'd already had breakfast and a Bloody Mary delivered to his chair, but he'd finished both quite a while ago. The beach was getting busier, with the sounds of kids yelling and giggling as they played in the sand nearby. The chairs around them were starting to fill up too, but the resort didn't set them too closely, so they had a little bit of space.

He pushed himself out of the chair, ducking to avoid the large umbrella that was providing some shade for their chairs. He moved towards the water, letting the cool water lap at his feet. Elliot decided that he was going to give her until 11AM before he texted her…just to make sure she was alright. With his mind made up, he pulled his t-shirt up over his head, and turned back towards their chairs. It was then that he saw her making her way across the beach. She was wearing a big straw sunhat and dark sunglasses, but there was no mistaking it was her. The curve of the simple white, sleeveless coverup and the long legs were a dead giveaway. Olivia had a large beach bag slung over her shoulder, a large coffee in her left hand and her shoes were dangling from the fingers of her left hand. She stopped for a moment and scanned the beach, but she saw him almost right away and gave him a small wave.

Elliot tossed his t-shirt on his lounge chair as she closed the gap between them. "I was just about to send out a search party for you." He joked as she dropped her bag on her chair.

Olivia slid her finger into the frame of her sunglasses and pulled them down her nose slightly, looking up at Elliot through her lashes. "You said to come down when I was ready."

"Yeah, but it's almost noon." Elliot said, looking at his watch.

"It's 11." Olivia corrected him as she set her coffee down on the small table that was set between their chairs. The line that Elliot has fed her last night had popped into her mind, and she tossed it back at him. "But who's keeping track of time?"

Elliot chuckled. He'd forgotten that Olivia wasn't a morning person…and from the looks of it…her coffee was still mostly full. He'd have to cut her some slack. Olivia had fished some sunscreen out of her bag and tossed her hat on top of the bag. He settled himself back on his lounge chair and stretched out, bending his arms behind his head and staring out of the water.

Olivia saw him stretch out and was glad she was still wearing her sunglasses. It gave her free reign to scan his ridiculously sculpted body. It wasn't that she didn't get to see him without a shirt very often, but that was most often during a quick change. Not nearly long enough to appreciate the muscled arms and toned abs. And sweet Jesus…the swimsuit he was wearing was slung low on his hips and her eyes trailed down the deep V of his muscles as they disappeared…

She realized then that Elliot had caught her staring, despite her dark shades, and she scrambled to recover. "Are those _sharks_ on your swimsuit?" She asked, thankfully noticing the ridiculous pattern on his trunks. "with _mermaids_?"

Elliot chuckled at her obvious attempt to distract him from calling her out, but he had no intention of saying anything. "Yeah. You like them?" He asked, giving her a lopsided grin as he dropped his arms from above his head.

"I'm not quite sure what to think." Olivia said, moving her bag to the soft sand and spreading her towel out on the chair. She hiked up her dress and sat down on the lounge chair, glancing over at his shorts again. "Are the sharks chasing the mermaids?" She asked, letting out a small laugh. "You're ridiculous." She asked as she leaned back against the chair and closed her eyes.

Elliot was speechless, glad that Olivia had closed her eyes. The loose, cotton dress she was wearing as a swimsuit coverup was hiked up high up on her thighs, and he saw a small flash of black material at her hip. He swallowed hard at the thought of what she was wearing beneath that dress, and knowing he was about to see more skin than he was probably prepared for was finally hitting him. All the days he'd gazed across the desk…wondering. All the dreams that tortured him at night...wishing. Just like that, he was going to see that which he had secretly coveted for years.

At some level, he'd known that. It hadn't been the reason for planning a beach vacation, but he knew that when he had weighed the pros and cons of his different options, the opportunity to see Olivia in a swimsuit had definitely been in the pro column.

The thought of it was already making him warm, and he knew he should look away, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the black strings dangling out from the white material pooled at her hip.

"Elliot." Olivia said his name and she saw him direct his attention back towards the water, as if he hadn't been staring. She suppressed a small smile, loving the fact that she'd caught him in the same way she had been. At least they were on equal ground. She turned her head and gave him a small smile. "In case you're wondering, my suit doesn't have sharks and mermaids on it." She closed her eyes and lay back against the chair, adjusting herself on the chair. She ran her hands up her thighs, pulling the dress up a little higher, biting back a smile as she wondered how long she could drag out this slow torture.

She heard a heavy sigh from the seat next to her, and she decided at least a little while longer.


	6. Chapter 6

Elliot watched as Olivia settled in her chair, sipping her coffee. Her head was resting against the back of her chair, but she still had her sunglasses on, so he couldn't tell if her eyes were open or not.

"You hungover?" He asked.

"Mmm." Olivia mumbled, turning her head lazily towards him. "Just tired." They had been drinking pretty steadily all evening, but they'd also been dancing, sweating off a lot of what they had consumed. When she had returned to her room, she had made certain to drink two large glasses of water but had still felt dehydrated as she had crawled into bed. "You?"

"Nah." Elliot said. He was glad she didn't seem to be bothered by anything that had happened the night before, and that made him happy. The easiness between them was exactly what he'd been hoping for this week. He wanted her to let loose a little and have fun, and that would let him do the same. "But that was fun last night."

Olivia turned her head back towards the ocean and smiled. "It was. I can't believe that you got me out on that dance floor and that you can actually dance." She teased.

"I'm full of surprises." Elliot said.

Olivia said. The memories from the previous night washed over her, and she could practically feel the way Elliot's hand had felt as it had curled around hers. "You certainly are."

"And that was just the first night."

His comment sent a small shiver of anticipation through Olivia's body and she glanced back over at him and saw a mischievous smile on his face. "I think I like this side of Elliot Stabler." She said, giving him an enigmatic smile of her own. She had always sensed that there was a dangerous side to Elliot…dangerous in a good way…and she liked that he was feeling a little more bold…free to be who he was when he wasn't a cop and a father and a husband. _Ex_-husband.

Elliot thought her comment sounded like a tease, but the tone of Olivia's voice, and just the way she said it, told him that she was serious. He was glad to know he wasn't making her uncomfortable, because he _was_ having a good time.

"Well, in that case, I'm going to get us some drinks." Elliot said, sitting up in his lounge chair and swinging his leg over so he could stand up. "What'll you have?"

Olivia lifted her head again. "It's too early for a drink. At least, for me." She ran a hand through her loose hair. "I need some food first."

"Well, lucky for you, they deliver food out here." I motioned towards the small hut close to the pool area that was serving the beach. "They have a bar there but can order food from one of the restaurants and they run it out here."

Olivia wasn't inclined to get up out of her chair, now that she was settled. "If you could just get me some water. Please."

"OK, Princess." Elliot chuckled, reading her mind. "And I'll pick out something for lunch." He leaned over slightly. "I know what you like." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and then straightened up and headed towards the hut.

Olivia felt a small flush in her cheeks at the innuendo, but Elliot had already moved past her and was working his way up the beach. She waved her hand in front of her face, suddenly feeling warm. She told herself it was the midday sun, but she knew that wasn't it completely.

So far, the second day of her vacation was promising to be just as good as the first one had been.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot paid an exorbitant price for a large bottle of water and a beer for himself and browsed through the menu for some food options. The bartender was a young woman, and she was particularly chatty. He wanted to tell her that he had daughters her age, but he let it go and kept up his part of the conversation until he had figured out what he wanted to order.

As he walked back towards their small patch of the beach, he noticed that it had gotten much busier. It was an absolutely beautiful day and it was getting hot, and he was going to dive in the water as soon as he delivered the bottle of water to Olivia. He came around the back of Olivia's lounge chair. "Hey…" He stopped short, nearly spilling his beer, when he saw Olivia stretched out in her chair. She had taken the time that he was gone to take off her sundress, revealing a black bikini.

_Sweet Jesus._

He hadn't expected a bikini.

He knew he shouldn't stare, but he couldn't help himself. She looked absolutely amazing, and as his eyes trailed up to finally meet hers, he knew she knew it too. Her expression remained neutral, but he saw a small arch in one eyebrow, and he swallowed hard. "I was gonna go…" He moved to motion towards the water, and realized he was still holding her bottle of water in his hand. "Uh. Here's your water." He said, hating that he sounded as flustered as he felt.

"Thank you." Olivia said, taking the water with a smile. She started to open the bottle of water, but Elliot stood rooted in place. This morning, she had questioned wearing this swimsuit. Now, based on Elliot's reaction, she knew she had made the right choice. She bit back a smile. "You were saying?"

"I'm going to go for a swim." Elliot took a long drink, draining half the glass. He handed the glass to Olivia, and headed towards the beach, feeling the need to cool off.

Olivia watched him go, unable to keep herself from noticing how he moved as he half-walked, half-jogged across the strip of sand between them and the water. He waded out until the water was up to his knees, and then dove in, disappearing beneath the surface. He emerged half a minute later and turned back towards her, wiping the water from his face. The water sluiced down his body, and she had an almost irresistible urge to lap the water from his body with her tongue.

_Christ_.

Olivia had to close her eyes. She had worked so hard to keep those kinds of thoughts from surfacing…at least in her waking hours…but now all those restraints were gone. It seemed all of her self-control had gone rogue…probably about the time the wheels had touched down on the runway.

She wanted to tell herself to rein in it, but she didn't _want_ to stop. She was having fun…_they_ were having fun…and she didn't want it to end.

Olivia opened her eyes and saw Elliot had disappeared. He turned up a minute later, emerging from the waves once again. Seconds later, she saw him leap up, and she furrowed her brow until she saw him catching a small football. It seemed that Elliot had made some 'friends', and she saw him pass the football to another guy in the water. There were two other guys in the group, and she watched as they played football in the water, splashing and landing in the water on some missed catches. She smiled…loving the fact that Elliot was really having fun. She settled in on her chair and lifted her face to the sun, sighing in contentment.

Elliot glanced back towards the beach, and saw Olivia was still laying on her lounge chair. He was expecting lunch to show up momentarily, but he was thankful for the distraction of the ocean and the game of catch. It kept his mind from lingering on the way her breasts had filled her bikini top and the deep V of her cleavage…from the expanse of her toned stomach and the way the bikini bottoms sat low on her hips. And her legs…those beautiful long, toned legs.

Elliot let out a grunt as the football hit him in the chest, and he laughed at himself.

Yeah, he wasn't distracted at all.

He played for a few minutes longer, and then saw a waiter was delivering their food. He tossed the ball back to one of the guys and motioned towards the beach, letting them know he was going in. One of the guys waved back at him, and he waded through the water, hoping he could keep his eyes to himself. As he neared the edge of the water, he saw Olivia get up from her chair, and he paused as she turned her back towards him and leaned over, clearing their glasses so the water could put their food on the small table.

He felt a stirring deep in his belly, and he wondered how he'd kept his baser feelings stuffed so deeply inside for so long. Olivia was signing the check and then she turned back towards him. He assumed she was looking for him, because he saw the surprise on her face when she saw him standing just twenty feet away from her. But then she smiled and waved him in, and he knew she hadn't realized he had been staring. _Again._

He said a silent prayer to help him get through this afternoon without touching her, because the only thing he could think about right now was running his hands across the smooth, soft skin.

"El?"

He nodded and headed up towards their chairs, and then he was standing next to her. His arm brushed hers and she jumped.

"You're cold." She said with a small laugh, and he realized his wet skin must have felt cold against hers that had been heated by the sun.

"And you're hot." The words escaped before he could even think about how it sounded, but before he could tell her exactly what he meant, he saw a small smile on her face, and she lowered her lashes and looked away, and he was happy that she'd taken it as a compliment. He filed that away…the feeling and the look on her face…thinking that perhaps keeping his thoughts to himself wasn't always a good thing.

They sat on their chairs and ate their lunch, and Olivia teased Elliot about making some friends in the water. It wasn't twenty minutes later when those same guys had worked their way up to where Elliot and Olivia were sitting, letting Elliot know about a sand soccer match that was starting down the beach.

Olivia saw the guys were definitely younger than she and Elliot, but not as young as she had first thought. They were clearly fit…they had probably been athletes at one time…and she noticed them glancing over at her as they talked to Elliot. She also noticed Elliot didn't bother to introduce her, which was unusual, and she wondered if that was because he didn't want any of them to show any interest. It was highly unlikely, with all the scantily clad women their age and younger on the beach, but she wasn't sure what other explanation there was. She supposed she couldn't blame him, because if it had been a group of women surrounding Elliot, she knows she would have been jealous too.

As if reading her mind, the man standing closest to her stuck out his hand. "Jason." He said. Olivia took his hand as he shook it lightly and gave him her name. The other guys took his cue and introduced themselves as well. She tried to catalogue their names…Jake and Dean…and then she heard Elliot telling them he may be down later. They seemed to get the cue and left.

"They seem like nice guys." She said, watching them as they made their way down the beach. "Are they staying here at the resort?"

"Why?" Elliot asked.

Olivia shrugged as she turned her attention back to Elliot. "No reason. Just wondering." She saw a small pout on Elliot's face as he looked back out at the ocean, and she wanted to call him on it. But she was enjoying it too much.

Olivia reached over and set her plate on the small table, stacking it on top of Elliot's. She slipped her hand into her bag and brought out the sunscreen. "Hey." She said, tapping his arm with the bottle, bringing his attention back to her. "You may want to put some sunscreen on."

"Huh?" He glanced back over at her.

"You're getting red." Olivia took the opportunity to let her eyes wander down his muscled chest.

Elliot took the lotion from her and squeezed some into his hand, and then he handed the bottle back to her. It had been on the tip of his tongue to tell her to do it, but he'd bitten back the words, not wanting to push things too far. He spread the lotion over his chest and leaned back in his chair, propping one arm over his head. All this tension was off the charts, and he needed to take some deep breaths and get his mind and body back in control.

He glanced out at the water, watching the slow waves crashed onto the beach. Then he heard a click. He looked over at Olivia and saw she was squeezing some sunscreen into her hand. He saw her start spreading the white lotion on her abs and stomach and his entire body clenched.

So much for control.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia was stretched out on her bed, thinking about the push and pull at the beach today. There had been a thread of danger throughout the day…with each movement on each of their parts meant to provoke a response from the other. It had been deliciously torturous. For both of them.

Neither one of them had said a thing as they'd made their way back to their rooms in the late afternoon, but she had noticed how Elliot had been watching her as the elevator took them to their floor. She gave had given him a big smile as they had exited and planned a time to meet and then, they had parted.

She had taken a long shower, running her hands over her body as thoughts of Elliot ran through her mind. God, she wanted the man and had for a long time and things felt like they were going to spiral out of control. As she'd soaped and shampooed, she wondered if maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing. They were away…no one had to know.

But she had ultimately pushed those thoughts out of her mind. She had promised herself that she would let things unfold naturally. She couldn't walk up to Elliot and proposition him…she had to let those thoughts go for now.

And yet, stretched out naked on her bed, she couldn't help wishing he was here with her now. She wondered what Elliot was doing right now, and if he was having the same difficulty as she was. There was a buzz on her phone, and she flipped over onto her stomach and snatched the phone off the nightstand. It was a text from Elliot, and she smiled before she even read it.

_Change of plans tonight. Dress casual._

Olivia was surprised by the message. They had planned another nice dinner at the seafood restaurant on property. _What did you have in mind?_ She texted back.

_It's a surprise._

Before she could text him back, there was another incoming message.

_Remember u like this side of me. Pick u up at 8._

Olivia closed her hand around her phone and clutched it to her chest. She couldn't keep the smile off her face, already thinking about the multitude of opportunities the night held.


	7. Chapter 7

Elliot loitered in the hallway, looking at his watch and waiting for Olivia. It was 8:05, when he heard Olivia's door open. He turned and saw her poke her head out, clutching what looked like a robe, closed at her chest.

"Hey." She said.

Elliot raised an eyebrow, surprised that she wasn't even dressed yet. "Yeah?"

"I'm not quite ready." She said. "Since I'm not sure where we're going, I'm having a hard time deciding what to wear." She opened the door a little more, revealing that she was, indeed, still in her robe. She scanned Elliot's attire…khaki shorts and a short-sleeved, collared shirt with some small print on it…but she wasn't sure that helped. She imagined that with the exception of the pants he'd worn last night or a pair of jeans, most of his vacation wardrobe probably looked like that. "It'll just be a few minutes." She took a step back, opening the door even farther. "Why don't you come in and wait?"

"You're inviting me into your room?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at Olivia. He saw her roll her eyes, but he was already moving towards the door. He passed by her as she held the door open, and the smell of her perfume filled his nostrils. He walked around the corner to the bedroom portion of the suite. He saw several things laid out on her bed, but before he had a chance to comment, Olivia brushed by him and snatched one of the outfits off the bed. It was a white wrap style shirt laying on top of a flowy, floral patterned skirt, and had been laying on top of the pile.

"I'll just be a minute." She said, looking at the items in her hand. She wasn't really sure this was what she wanted to wear, or how she felt about the outfit now. It was something new she had bought on impulse…as was most of the wardrobe that she had brought along…and she wasn't sure what had been on her mind when she had picked them out. They weren't the kind of thing she would normally wear, and yet, in her current situation, she didn't have a lot of need for resort wear.

"Make yourself at home." Olivia said.

Elliot saw her reach for the sash of her robe, and for a moment, he wondered if she was going to change right in front of him. He had certainly seen the occasional quick change of a shirt in the locker room, but she'd always been wearing a tank top or something…and right now…he had a feeling there was nothing much on beneath that robe. But she disappeared into the bathroom before his thought was even complete, and he shook his head and told himself to get a grip.

Olivia closed the door behind her, dropping her robe as she draped the clothes over the chair that sat in front of the vanity. She pulled on the skirt first, loving the lightweight fabric and the elastic waist. It was loose enough to be flowy, but it hugged her hips enough, so it didn't make them look wide. The pulled the white shirt over her head, loving how the stretch of the material hugged her breasts and waist. She hoped it wouldn't be too cool if they walked the beach tonight, as the sleeves were only three-quarter length, but if the previous night was any indication, she would be okay. She twisted and turned in the full-length mirror to get a good view, but decided she'd gauge Elliot's reaction to see how it looked.

She opened the door, and saw Elliot wasn't in the bedroom area. "El?" She called, but she saw him in the living room as she came around the corner. She saw him look up, and before she could ask him if she was dressed appropriately for their evening, he let out a long, low whistle. It wasn't the reaction she had been expecting, and she let out a laugh.

"I guess the answer is yes." She said.

"To whatever question you're asking." Elliot said. Olivia looked amazing. Just the way the shirt hugged her body and the contrast of the white against her sun-kissed skin was making him weak.

"Hmm." Olivia said, watching as Elliot's eyes swept down her body again and then back up. "Well…in that case…" She moved towards him and leaned over slightly, seeing the surprise in his eyes as she did. "Then I need to think of a really good question."

The seductive tone of her voice and her proximity sent a flush of heat through his body, and his eyes dropped to her mouth. In the moment, she seemed to realize the position she'd put herself in, and she stood up, brushing a hand through her hair. Elliot stood up, wanting to put her at ease, and he saw her put a little more distance between them. He waved his hand down his body. "How about _my_ outfit?" he said, turning around and giving her a 360-degree view. "Do I pass?"

That made Olivia laugh. "I'm not sure what your options were, but you look good." She looked him up and down. "_Really_ good." She felt it was only fair, based on the whistle he'd given her. She gave him a big smile. "Now…take me to dinner because I'm starving."

Elliot couldn't keep the smile from his face as he followed her out of the room. There was something in the air…he could feel it. They were going to have fun tonight.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia followed Elliot down into the lobby and then to the concierge desk. He spoke with the young man that was staffing the desk, and she saw him pick up the phone. It as just two minutes later that a person dressed as a waiter walked towards them. She handed Elliot a basket and what appeared to be a blanket, and she gave Elliot a puzzled look.

"Are we going on a picnic?" She asked.

Elliot saw a look of confusion on her face and he hoped he hadn't made a mistake. "We can sit inside an Italian restaurant on any day in New York." He said. "I thought it might be fun to have a picnic on the beach." He paused for a moment. "But if you don't…"

Olivia placed her hand on Elliot's arm, realizing that Elliot took her hesitancy as uncertainty. "It sounds great." She said, giving him a smile. She knew it must have taken a lot of extra effort for Elliot to make this happen, and before she knew what she was doing, she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You _are _full of surprises."

"You too." Elliot said, committing the way her lips had felt against his skin. He tucked the blanket in the crook of his left arm, adjusted the basket in his same hand, and then reached for Olivia's hand with his right. She squeezed his hand with hers, and he looked back at her. She was looking up at him with such joy on her face, and it caused his heart to leap slightly. That smile…it was just for him. He found he kept looking over at her as they wound their way through the resort and pool area, just to make sure the smile hadn't disappeared.

As they stepped on to the sand, Olivia found herself thinking about the kiss she'd given Elliot. As chaste as it had been, it was another first for them. She could still feel the rough stubble of his cheek and taste the essence of him on her lips. The smell of his cologne still lingered in her nose. This small gesture felt enormous and all of it loosened something inside of her. She squeezed Elliot's hand as he led her down the beach, wondering what tonight had in store for them.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot had refused to let her help as he had found a spot for them on the beach, spread the blanket and unpacked their picnic dinner. Their patch of sand wasn't exactly secluded; that would be damn near impossible with this many people at the resort. But it was out of the way of most passersby.

She had finished her second glass of wine while eating various meats and cheeses from a makeshift charcuterie platter, and she found herself laughing as Elliot made up funny stories about the various people passing by on the beach. "Stop." She choked out, placing the palm of her hand on her stomach, when the stories got too ridiculous. "I can't breathe."

Elliot grinned at her, and for a moment, she saw him when he was younger. Before the police force…before parenthood…before marriage. It made her wonder what would have happened if she had met him then. She leaned back on her outstretched arms, let her head drop back and closed her eyes, trying to imagine it. But she couldn't, because they had both been different people then.

It was because of who they were now that they were here.

Elliot looked over at Olivia. He saw the way her hair cascaded down her back…the breeze from the ocean blowing it lightly. Her eyes were closed, and the long column of her neck was bare, and his eyes traced her profile. Her long lashes, her nose, her full lips.

"You're beautiful." He whispered, and for a moment, he wondered if the words had only been spoken in his mind, because she didn't move. He thought perhaps he had overstepped but then Olivia opened her eyes slowly and looked over at him. His breath froze in his chest as she gazed at him for a moment, and then he realized she didn't know how to accept that kind of compliment from him.

"Does that make you uncomfortable?" He asked, kicking himself for not leaving it alone, but being unable to. He watched as she parted her lips as if to respond, but she didn't, and now he realized that maybe he really had overstepped. Maybe he was just one more man in a long line of men that had told her the same. "I know you've probably had a lot of men tell you that…" He said, looking away.

"Yes." She replied, her voice almost a whisper. _But it didn't mean anything coming from them._ She didn't say the words out loud…she couldn't…even though the wine was making her feel bold.

"Just ignore me." Elliot said, still looking down at his half-empty glass of wine.

Olivia had heard the reverence in his voice as he had delivered the compliment. The emotion behind it was unmistakable. "Stop." She said, lifting her left hand and letting her fingers trace lightly down his cheek. "Thank you." It felt like a stupid thing to say, but she couldn't do what she really wanted…which was to close the gap between them and kiss him.

Elliot placed his hand over hers and held it there. When his eyes reconnected with hers, she could see the same desire there, and she felt a small flutter in her stomach.

A blood curdling scream made them both jump, and Olivia dropped her hand as they both looked for the source. They both laughed when they realized it was two small girls chasing each other on the beach; no one can scream with such high-pitched intensity as little girls. Olivia felt herself breath for what felt like the first time in minutes, and she glanced over at Elliot, seeing a mixture of regret and relief on his face.

He was obviously as unsure about what was happening as she was, and that gave her a measure of comfort. They watched the girls chasing for a few minutes more, but their parents were calling to them and finally were able to wrangle them towards the hotel.

Elliot started to pull some more food from the basket, setting out some fruit and sandwiches. "I know it's not a hot meal but…"

"It's great." Olivia sad. "I'm really having a good time." She glanced at him sideways. "Thanks for doing all this."

"I told you that you were getting the Princess treatment this week." Elliot said.

"Better be careful. You're going to set some pretty high expectations."

"And you don't think I'm up to the challenge?"

Olivia shrugged slightly. "I guess we'll see."

Elliot rolled his eyes but then gave her a playful smile. He held up the bottle of red. "Some more wine?" Elliot asked.

"Are you trying to get me drunk Elliot Stabler?" She teased.

Elliot cocked one eyebrow. "And what if I was?" He tossed back, happy to see the small smile on her face.

"Then I'd say you're doing a good job." Olivia was definitely feeling the effects of the wine, since she'd had them in quick succession with so little food.

"Then maybe we'd better slow down." In the entire time he'd known Olivia, he realized he'd never seen her really drunk more than a time or two, and he knew all the reasons for that. "We have all night ahead of us."

Olivia didn't argue. She set her glass down and looked back at Elliot. He was looking at the sun dipping low in the sky, and she took that moment to really look at the man sitting across from her. "You know…" She started, her voice soft and low. "At first, when you told me that you were going on vacation with me, I thought…" He turned back to face her, and she realized she couldn't tell him what she had really thought. "I'm…" She opened and closed her mouth, suddenly at a loss for words. "I'm glad you're here with me." She said finally. "I can just be myself around you. You know everything about me and it's just…" She shrugged slightly. "It's just easy." She looked away then, slightly embarrassed by what she was saying. It hadn't come out the way she'd intended, and she worried that even though she really hadn't said anything, somehow, she'd said too much.

"You calling me easy Benson?" He teased, sensing her unease.

"I guess we'll find out." Olivia felt a slight flush in her cheeks, and she didn't know if it was the banter, or the wine. It was probably a little bit of both. She glanced over at Elliot and then back out at the ocean. "I think I'm going to…" She nodded towards the water. "I'll be right back." She pushed herself up from the blanket, taking a moment to straighten out her skirt. She needed a small amount of space in that moment…she needed some breathing space…some perspective. Things were changing between them so quickly…maybe too quickly. She didn't know what to think…what Elliot was thinking.

Elliot watched Olivia as she made her way across the sand. It wasn't far to the water, and it was only moments before he saw her lift her long skirt slightly and dip her toes in the water. The sky was orange now…the sun had almost completely slipped beneath the horizon…and it created an image of Olivia that would forever be burned in his brain.

He realized that he had been relying on her to be the sensible one when it came to what happened…or didn't…on this trip. He had wanted them to let go a little but assumed that she would only let things go so far. But now… he didn't know if either one of them were going to be able to maintain any modicum of control.

The more reasonable question was…which one of them would break first.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey!"

Elliot tore his gaze from Olivia to see Gina and Chris walking towards them. It appeared they had come from inside the resort, and he wondered if they were staying there. He turned back to look at Olivia for a moment, but she obviously hadn't heard them because she didn't turn. He looked back at the approaching couple and gave them a smile. "Hey."

They both stopped where the blanket met the sand, and he saw Chris looked over at Olivia, still down by the beach. "How're you guys doing?"

"This looks great!" Gina said, speaking over Chris and motioning towards the picnic dinner laid out before them. She punched Chris lightly in the shoulder. "Why haven't we had a beach picnic?"

Elliot could tell that the two of them had been drinking. Not that they were drunk…but they were definitely feeling good. Of course, he and Olivia had taken the edge off as well, having tapped into the second bottle of wine. He stood up.

"Way to show me up." Chris said to Elliot, and then he wrapped his arm around Gina. "There's still plenty of time."

Olivia had headed back towards Elliot and saw their new-found friends talking to him. She was a little disappointed and a little relieved. She didn't know if she trusted herself around Elliot and she had been trying to regain some semblance of control while she'd watched the sunset. It hadn't been working; the only thing she'd been able to think about was Elliot coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her as they watched the sunset together.

_The man was making her weak._

"Hi!" She said brightly, and she offered her cheek to Chris as he leaned in to greet her with a kiss. She glanced over at Elliot to see how he was reacting to their unplanned guests, but she couldn't read him. She had to assume he was feeling as confused as she was. Or…maybe not. She wasn't sure whether his intentions for the picnic were completely innocent or not…

"Were we interrupting something?" Gina asked, raising one eyebrow.

"No." They both said simultaneously, hearing the innuendo in Gina's voice.

"We're done with dinner." Olivia said, seeing the look Gina was looking back and forth between she and Elliot with an expression that said she didn't quite believe them.

"What'ya doing after dinner?" Chris asked. He looked at Elliot and Olivia. "You guys _have_ to come down to the bonfire!" Chris said. He motioned down the beach, and Elliot looked to where he was pointing.

"Maybe they have plans." Gina said.

"They just said they were done with dinner." Chris argued. He didn't wait for a response. He just forged ahead, explaining that the smaller resort they were staying at was having a party on the beach. The resort was right next to the bar they'd met in on the previous night, so he told them they couldn't miss it. He rattled on, explaining that anyone was welcome, and insisting that they come.

Elliot glanced over at Olivia, waiting for her to protest or make up some excuse, but she was just nodding her head, and he thought maybe she wanted to go. They'd had fun with Gina and Chris at the bar, and it wasn't as if he really had anything planned. "Maybe it would be fun." Elliot said tentatively, testing the waters with Olivia.

"Yeah." Olivia said, somewhat unconvincingly, and Elliot thought maybe he had made the wrong decision.

"Great!" Chris said, and Elliot realized he was a little more drunk than he'd first thought. Gina was rolling her eyes and pulling him away.

"We're going to head down there." She said, continuing to tug on Chris arm. He finally relented.

"Better see you down there!" He said, before he turned and walked down the beach with Gina.

Elliot watched them for a moment and looked back at Olivia. The sun had set completely now, and it was harder to see her expression in the dark that was settling around them. "We don't have to go." He said, somewhat tentatively.

"No." Olivia said. "I think we should go…unless…" She hesitated. "Unless you had some other plans in mind."

"No. Dinner was all I planned."

Olivia heard something in the tone of his voice, and she thought maybe he was thinking she didn't appreciate the gesture he'd made. She skirted the edge of the blanket and moved to where Elliot was standing. She rested one hand on his upper arm. "Dinner was wonderful." She said softly. "I didn't mean to imply that it was _all_ that you did." She squeezed his shoulder. "We've only been here two days, and every single moment has been amazing. And you did that." She laughed lightly. "I haven't done a damn thing. I've just been the lucky one on the receiving end of all these surprises."

Elliot smiled. "This vacation is your birthday gift. It's my job to make sure it's spectacular."

"True." Olivia said, nodding as she dropped her hand.

"Do you want to check out the bonfire?" He asked. It couldn't even be 10PM yet; the night was early. "Or did you want to find something else to do?"

Olivia shrugged, not wanting to be the one to make the decision. "You decide."

"Not a chance Princess." Elliot said with a laugh.

"I'm not sure I like that nickname." Olivia said, shaking her head but giving him a small smile. "That'd better not stick when we get back to New York City."

"Are we going back to New York?" Elliot tossed back at her. "I think maybe we'd decide just to stay down here."

"Don't tempt me." Olivia said.

"You're the temptress." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to take them back. But Olivia just got a small, mischievous smile on her face and she narrowed her eyes.

"You have no idea." She said seductively, but she didn't give him a chance to respond and as much as she wanted to, she didn't look to see the look on his face. She knelt down on the blanket and reached for the empty basket. "Let's clean this up and go to the bonfire."

EOEOEOEO

It hadn't taken long to find the party…and a party it was. Elliot and Olivia hadn't known what to expect, but there was a lot more people than they had imagined. The resort's beach bar, placed right where concrete around the pool area gave away to the sand, was open, and a maybe ten yards farther, a bonfire was blazing, situated halfway from the pool to the beach. There was music playing, and Olivia wasn't sure if it was the hotel or someone's personal selections, but it added to the party atmosphere. There were people around the fire, people at the bar, and people on the beach. Some were talking and some were dancing, but it seemed that everyone had a head start on them.

Of course, she was still feeling pleasantly buzzed after the wine they'd had. Chris and Gina had gone on ahead of them, as they'd had to return the picnic items. Then she and Elliot had taken their time walking down the beach. She loved how easily Elliot took her hand in his now…and how natural it felt to be together like this.

"Looks like a hell of a party." Elliot said. He had really been enjoying the time alone with Olivia, but she seemed anxious to join the fun, so he was willing to oblige.

_Maybe she was nervous to be alone with him_. The thought made him smile.

"That grin looks like trouble." Olivia said, looking over at him.

Elliot saw the question on her face, but he just shook his head. "Nah." He squeezed her hand. "Want a drink?" He jerked his head in the direction of the bar.

"Sure."

They sauntered a little closer, but Olivia let Elliot wade through the crowd to get to the bar itself. She looked around, keeping an eye open for Chris and Gina. She wasn't sure they'd ever find them in the semi-darkness and with the way people were moving in and out of the glow of the bonfire. But it didn't really matter if they did. She was still glad they had wandered down here; it was a good way to end the night.

Someone bumped her arm, and she turned to see Elliot standing slightly behind her with two beers in his hands. "Look who I found at the bar." He said. Chris and Gina walked up right behind him, and Olivia saw they each had two beers in their hands. Apparently, they were ready to party.

"C'mon!" Gina grabbed Olivia's hand and tugged her towards the bonfire.

Olivia looked back at Elliot, but he just shrugged his shoulders and started following them with Chris in tow.

An hour later, Olivia found herself sitting next to Gina by the fire, and she'd already downed two beers. Elliot and Chris had disappeared into the darkness, but she had no doubt they were somewhere close by. Every once in a while, she glanced around at the people moving in the shadows, but she couldn't pick him out in the darkness.

"So, how long have you and Elliot been together?" Gina asked.

Olivia was caught off-guard by the question. They had been purposefully vague when they had exchanged information in the bar, just noting they worked for the city in New York, and peppering Chris and Gina with questions to keep them talking. They hadn't offered any kind of insight into how they were connected, and the other couple hadn't even asked. Olivia had been thankful, because there was no way to define what they were to each other. At least in her mind.

"We're not together…" Olivia said. "I mean…not like you're thinking." She wasn't sure why she answered the question that way. It would have been easier to just say they'd been together almost 11 years and leave it at that…but she was unnerved slightly because what if Chris was asking Elliot the exact same thing, and he answered differently? This was at least, on the surface, the truth.

"Yeah…right." Gina said. "Seriously though…"

"Elliot and I are just friends. We work together…"

Gina laughed out loud…giggled almost…and Olivia realized that maybe she was a little more drunk than she realized. "I've seen the way the two of you look at each other." She said. Then she winked. "It's ok if you're seeing each other on the sly. You're secrets safe with me."

"Gina…we're not…"

"Hey." Olivia looked past Gina and saw the man that had interrupted them. He and a friend were sitting on the sand next to them, and the one that had spoken held up a beer. "Looks like you could use a refill."

"No. Thanks though." Olivia said, but her refusal was drowned out by Gina's enthusiastic thanks, and before she knew it, she had a cold beer in her hand. Gina pulled her up to her feet, and both men introduced themselves as Adam and Joe, to both women. There was nothing extraordinary about either of them; they were both ordinary looking guys that erred more to the side of handsome than not, but they both appeared to be younger than them. Although, she wasn't really sure how old Gina was.

Olivia was a little surprised that Gina seemed to be encouraging them…and was obviously more interested in Joe than Adam. It made her realize that there was a whole lot about Gina and Chris she didn't know, and she glanced around, wondering if Chris or Elliot was going to come storming in to break up this newly formed foursome.

She realized Adam was saying something to her, and she smiled at him, not wanting to be rude. "I'm sorry…what?" Olivia asked, leaning in slightly to try to hear him a little better.

"Nothing…" He said, almost shyly. "It was stupid."

Olivia raised an eyebrow, curious as to what he'd said. "Hmm." She said, taking a long drink of her beer. She noticed that Joe and Gina had separated themselves slightly and had moved more closely together as they spoke. Gina was giggling again, and Olivia told herself to keep a close eye on her. But she was feeling the affects of alcohol herself…she needed to scale back.

"You keep looking around." Adam said.

"Yeah…I'm kind of here with someone." Olivia said. "We both are."

"I figured." Adam said. "No way a beautiful woman like you is here alone."

Olivia wanted to roll her eyes, but she'd walked right into it.

"Yeah…I know that sounds like a line…." Adam said. "That's why I didn't repeat it earlier."

"It's okay." Olivia said. It wasn't the first time, nor the last time, that someone would try to hit on her. "I just wanted to let you know that this isn't going anywhere." She needed to make it perfectly clear so there was no confusion later on. Adam seemed like a nice guy so maybe another time…another place.

"I have to say I'm disappointed." Adam said. "But I'm having a good time." He glanced over at Gina and his friend Joe. "Is it okay if I just hang out?"

"Sure." Olivia didn't feel like Adam was just feeding her a line and hoping she'd change her mind. She thought she was a pretty good judge of character despite the number of drinks she'd had.

Another half an hour had passed, and Olivia hadn't seen any sign of Elliot or Chris. The four of them had settled next to the fire again, but now Gina was on her right with Joe, and Adam was on her left. She had switched to some blue slushy drink that Adam had gotten from the bar, and despite being really strong, it was good. She was listening to some story Adam was reciting, but in the back of her mind, she wondered if she should be worried about Elliot. She couldn't imagine where he'd gone…and for a brief second, she wondered if he was schmoozing some woman at the beach party. She tried to let the thought go before it ate away at her because she couldn't really imagine that he was. But it did bother her that he had left her here with Gina to do Lord knows what.

And yet…here she was…talking to another man. It was innocent, but she was the only one that knew that. She wondered if she should go look for Elliot, but she had no idea where to even begin, and she didn't think it was a good idea to be wandering around by herself. Adam had just given her another slushy drink, and despite her best intentions not to drink anymore…it was so good, and she was having fun. That's what vacation was all about, and since Elliot had disappeared, she decided to have fun until he decided to show up again.

She had finished off half her drink when she caught a glimpse of Elliot and Chris walking on the periphery of the fire, exactly opposite side of where they were sitting. They hadn't seen she and Gina yet, but she could tell they were looking for them. She nudged Gina. "I see the guys. Say goodbye."

Olivia turned to Adam. "It was really nice to meet you, but I have to go." Adam looked slightly surprised, but then resigned, and she appreciated that he wasn't going to give her a hard time. She glanced over at Gina and saw that maybe she was having a harder time extricating herself from Joe. Olivia stood up and tugged at Gina's arm, but she saw Elliot and Chris had rounded the bonfire now and had spotted them.

Elliot reached them first, and Olivia saw him glance at Adam and then back at her. "Hey." He said. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?" He asked.

"This is Adam." Olivia said, seeing the annoyed expression on Elliot's face. It ticked her off, since he was the one that had left her alone. "He kept me company, since you disappeared on me." Adam seemed to understand that he was in the middle of something and he put up his hands in a defensive gesture.

"Hey, she was clear with me up front." Adam said. "She told me she was here with someone. We were just talking."

Olivia looked back at Adam, and then back at Elliot, and she hated that he was staring at him in such an intimidating way. He had his arms crossed on front of him, and she pushed on them, forcing him to take a step back. She heard raised voices, and saw Chris and Gina were getting into it. Adam gave she and Elliot wide berth, and then grabbed his friend, disappearing into the dark. Chris turned and started walking away, and Gina was yelling at him as she followed him into the darkness as well.

"Don't look at me like that." Olivia said. "I'm not allowed to talk to anyone?"

"I didn't say that."

"Well, you're looking at me like I was doing something wrong. I have news for you…" Olivia was getting riled up now. She didn't have a ring on her finger, and in fact, Elliot had never even kissed her.

"I left you with Gina. I didn't think I had to worry." Elliot said. He should have known better. He'd been gone longer than he had planned. Had he really thought he could leave Olivia alone and no one would hit on her? He was an idiot.

"Well, I didn't think you were going to leave me here alone. Olivia said. She closed her eyes for a second and tried to let go of her annoyance, moving a step closer. She didn't want to fight with him. That would be too easy…too much like the old way they would have handled things. "You don't have to worry."

"Did you really tell that guy that you were here with someone?" Elliot asked. He wanted to believe her.

Olivia looked up at him through her lashes and pressed the palm of her left hand against his chest. "I _am _here with someone." She said softly. "Right?"

Elliot saw the intensity of her stare and his anger and jealousy were lessening by the minute. "Right." He wanted to kiss her so badly in that moment, but then she was smiling, and she dropped her hand from his chest. She took a sip of her drink, almost draining it.

Elliot furrowed his brows. "What're you drinking?" He asked, noticing the melting slush in her plastic glass.

"I don't know. Some rum thing…"

"Where did you get that? Did that guy get it for you?"

"Yeah…"

"You know better than to take a drink from someone you don't know…"

Olivia rolled her eyes and took another sip of her drink. "It's from the bar." She said. "Really Elliot…" She pushed past him. "You're such a buzzkill sometimes. We're supposed to be on vacation."

Elliot could tell that she was a little drunk…maybe more than a little…and he couldn't be upset with her. "Hey." He snagged her arm and she turned her back towards him. "Just watching out for you."

Olivia cocked her head sideways and gave him a sly smile. She bit down lightly on her bottom lip and trailed one finger down the line of his jaw. "I know you are." She brushed past him, letting her finger run along his chin and then around the collar of his shirt as she circled around him. "You always have my back." She whispered. "You're always watching out for me."

Elliot turned as he felt her fingers trail against his skin and then stop, and he saw the most seductive look on her face.

"Let's walk on the beach…" Olivia said. She followed the trail her hand made as she ran it down Elliot's arm, and then she looked up at him as she tangled her fingers in his. "Get away from all these people…"

Elliot knew she'd been drinking. Hell, he'd been drinking too. He knew he should suggest they call it a night. He should take her back to the hotel and tuck her safely away in her hotel room. That would be the smart thing to do. But the way she was looking at him right now…

He was helpless to resist her.

He gave her a smile and let her lead him away from the party.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: I know people have been asking for an update, but it's taken me a bit to get this right. Just as a reminder, I included a few of the last paragraphs from the last chapter, just to set the mood!

EOEOEOEO

Elliot turned as he felt her fingers trail against his skin and then stop, and he saw the most seductive look on her face.

"Let's walk on the beach…" Olivia said. She followed the trail her hand made as she ran it down Elliot's arm, and then she looked up at him as she tangled her fingers in his. "Get away from all these people…"

Elliot knew she'd been drinking. Hell, he'd been drinking too. He knew he should suggest they call it a night. He should take her back to the hotel and tuck her safely away in her hotel room. That would be the smart thing to do. But the way she was looking at him right now…

He was helpless to resist her.

He gave her a smile and let her lead him away from the party.

They didn't have to go very far before the lights and sound of the party faded. The moon hadn't risen in the night sky yet, and it was dark, especially after the light of the bonfire. Olivia continued to lead him down the stretch of soft sand, and the beach was surprisingly deserted. Elliot would have expected other to see other couples sneaking quiet moments along the dark stretch as well, but they hadn't run into anyone.

He heard Olivia giggling as she struggled in the sand, and it made him realize just how drunk she really was. He tugged at her hand, and she stopped, turning into him quickly and pressing her body against his. Her moves were sloppy, providing further proof of the alcohol content in those drinks, and he grabbed her hips to steady her against him as she stumbled to get her footing.

Olivia took that opportunity to wrap her arms around his neck, and he could feel her warm breath on his skin. Her lips were achingly close to his, and as she pushed her breasts into his chest, she laughed lightly.

"El."

It was just his name, but the breathy way she said it sent want coursing through him. He felt himself digging his fingers into her hips, but if she felt it, she didn't say a thing. He swallowed hard and pushed her body away from his slightly, disengaging their lower halves but only barely.

"How come we never…" Olivia started, but Elliot interrupted her. He couldn't answer the question he knew she was going to ask, or at least, he didn't want to answer it. Not here. Not now, when she most likely wouldn't remember asking, and wouldn't remember the answer.

"Liv. C'mon." Elliot said. He took a step backwards, forcing her arms to drop as he created some space between them. "Please…let's go in."

Olivia wasn't taking no for an answer. "It's too early, and I don't want to go in. I want to stay right here, with you."

She came towards him again, but the sand shifted beneath her feet, her legs got tangled in her loose skirt and she stumbled. Elliot reached out to catch her by her arms, but she had too much momentum and he went down, taking her with him. He landed with an oomph, and Olivia fell on top of him, jabbing an elbow into his ribs. "Ow."

He could feel Olivia's body shaking with laughter before he heard it, but the only thing he could focus on was the way her body melted into his. Her soft breasts were once again pressed into his chest, and one of her legs had fallen between his legs. Her hip was wedged intimately against him and he could feel a strip of her bare skin brushing his, where both their shirts had ridden up in the fall. His body was on fire with desires held at bay for too long, and he willed himself not to harden against her.

"This is more like it." Olivia said.

Elliot cursed under his breath because this was the stuff of dreams and now his mind and his body were at war. Olivia was shifting against him now, trying to align her mouth with his and he felt her inner thigh brush over the bulge in his shorts. His breath caught because _goddamnit_, he wanted her. He wanted to flip her over and press her into the sand and kiss those tantalizing lips…

"Elliot."

Olivia whispered his name again and the sound of her voice was pure sex. He felt her long hair tickle his face, and then her lips were pressed against his neck and up until that moment, he had resisted touching her. But his mind lost to his desire, and he slid his hands down her body until he was cupping her ass. He squeezed lightly and then shifted her slightly, pressing her against his hard length.

"Yessss." Olivia hissed against the skin of his neck, and Elliot groaned out loud as she ground herself against him.

Elliot released her suddenly, realizing this had gone too far. "No." He said, wrapping his hands around her arms. "No." He pulled her mouth from his skin, and rolled them over, pinning her against the sand, with his legs straddling her on either side and his body hovering over hers. "Liv…" He said, looking back and forth between her eyes. "Not like this. We've been drinking…you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk." She said indignantly, but her words were slurred. Elliot could see the hurt and confusion in her eyes, but he knew she would thank him in the morning.

"If you say so." Elliot said. That comment didn't go over well and she pushed against the hands that were holding her down.

"Let go of me." She said angrily. He released her immediately and fell to the side, and he watched as she struggled to sit up. She finally got up, but her legs were unsteady, and she stood for a moment to try to regain her balance. He realized then that she wasn't wearing any shoes, and he started to feel around for them, wondering if she'd had them when they'd walked away from the bonfire. He watched as she started to walk away from him, and he yelled to her to wait, but she didn't even look back. Elliot knew she was upset, and he imagined she wasn't used to being turned down. He wondered if she hadn't come back to the bonfire when he did, if she would have been rolling in the sand with the guy that had been buying her the drinks. Or if it really was him that she wanted.

Elliot realized he was losing sight of Olivia, and he pushed his jealousy and pettiness to the side, scrambling up in the sand and moving in the direction she had disappeared. He walked quickly, but didn't catch up to her, and he stopped after a few minutes wondering where she had gone. "Damn it." He muttered to himself, hating the thought of Olivia out here by herself in the state she was in. He started walking again and then stopped, trying to think clearly. She had been moving more slowly than him, and hadn't had that much of a head start, so she couldn't possibly be ahead of him. He backtracked slightly, looking out towards the ocean and back up towards the buildings, looking for any dark shapes that didn't belong on the landscape. He was getting frustrated with himself as he walked, wondering what his options were, when he saw something dark closer to the water. "Olivia!" He yelled, but the sound of his voice was drowned out by the sound of the waves and the wind. He ran awkwardly in the sand and his head was clear now. "Liv." He fell down to his knees when he saw it was her. She was laying in the sand, and his first thought was that she must have twisted her ankle or been hurt in some way, but when he leaned over, Elliot saw that she had seemingly passed out.

"Liv." He said, shaking her slightly. He found it hard to believe it could have happened that fast, and while she'd clearly been drunk, he didn't think she'd been that far gone. It made him wonder if he'd been right about the asshole at the bonfire and the blue drinks, but he didn't dwell on it. He needed to get her inside. Elliot tried shaking her again, but she didn't respond. He lifted her up as best he could, but it was hard in the shifting sand, and she was dead weight. He finally wrapped one of her arms around his neck and held on to it with his left hand, and then encircled her waist with his right arm, hugging her close to his body. He made their way clumsily up the beach, half carrying her and half dragging her in the sand. Elliot had almost made it to the patio surrounding the pool when he saw a flash of light and a deep voice telling him to stop.

Elliot stopped in his tracks and saw a security officer from the resort approaching. He was a middle-aged man, dressed in a black pants and a gray shirt with security embroidered on the shirt, and as he approached, Elliot sighed inwardly. He knew how this must look.

"Hey." He said, unsure as to how to address the guard. "I know what this looks like…" He offered.

The man furrowed his brow and wore a scowl on his face. "How does it look?" he asked.

Elliot imagined he had seen a lot of shenanigans here, where everyone was on vacation and acting like a fool. "My wife…" He started. "She had too much to drink."

"Ma'am." The guard came around to Olivia's side, but her head was hanging, and he could clearly see that she was out. Elliot heard him sigh heavily, and then he asked him for identification. He didn't really have any free hands, but he motioned towards the nearby lounge chair. The guard nodded and Elliot lay Olivia down gently. He fished out his wallet and handed the guard his ID and his room key. "What about her? Does she have ID on her?"

Elliot looked over at Olivia. He realized that he couldn't remember if she'd had anything with her when they'd left for their picnic that night. God, that seemed like days ago. If she had, it was gone, along with her shoes. "She didn't bring it with her." He said.

The guard was in a difficult position, and he knew, as a cop, that he probably would have thought the situation was sketchy himself. A defenseless woman being carried away by a man. "Hold on." Elliot said. He didn't have his badge with him, but he had a business card, and he fished one out of his wallet and handed it to the guard. Not that all policemen were above board, but maybe it would help. He watched the guard scan the information on the card, look at him, and then back at Olivia. Finally, he sighed heavily, and handed Elliot's credentials back to him. "OK. I guess you're in the clear."

Elliot knew he was reluctant, and he thanked him, understanding his reticence. He watched as the guard walked away, trudging through the sand, and he didn't envy the man's job. Elliot turned and regarded Olivia, laying on the lounger. He sat down on the one next to her, trying to remember when they'd set out for the night. He honestly didn't recall that she'd had anything like a purse or bag in her hands as they'd wandered down to the concierge, so she must have put her room key in a pocket. He leaned over, pulling her long skirt from where it had fallen to the side, but he didn't find any pockets. He sat back, wondering where else she could have put a key, and then remembered how Kathy used to stick things in her bra every once in a while. He shook his head. No…that couldn't be…but…where else could she have put it? He sat there for a moment, feeling like a pervert as he stared at her breasts, wondering, but he didn't know what options he had. The front desk wouldn't give him a key to her room…

He stood up and stared down at her, cocking his head one way and then another.

He reached down and then pulled his hand back. What the hell was he thinking? Was he really going to dig in her bra out here in public? Christ…he'd lost his mind. Plus…she'd kill him. If that's where it was, he'd have no explanation as to how he'd gotten it.

He had no choice but to take her back to his room. As if he wasn't already going to have enough problems sleeping after her performance on the beach…now she was going to be in his bed.

She was going to owe him.

Too bad she wouldn't remember any of it.

But in his head, he knew that was a good thing. He wasn't sure how she'd react in the morning if she remembered everything that transpired on the beach. Not that anything had really happened, but he thought she might be embarrassed by his rejection, and not see it in it's true light. He definitely didn't want to discourage her from reaching for him…from seducing him. But only when they were sober and could remember every single moment.

Elliot slid his arm beneath Olivia's legs, trying not to look at how her skirt pooled high on her thighs as he slid his other arm beneath her torso, and he lifted her from the chair. He weaved in between all the chairs and said a prayer of thanks for automated doors as he made his way to the elevator. If anyone thought it odd that he was walking through the lobby with an unconscious woman in his arms, no one said anything, and it made him wonder about society once again. The elevator whisked them to their floor and Elliot laid Olivia down on the floor so he could take out his key and open the door. He could scarcely believe that she hadn't regained consciousness during all of this, but she didn't move a muscle as he carried her inside and lay her gently on his bed.

Elliot stood and stared at her, noticing the sand in her clothes and hair and on her feet. He lifted each foot carefully, and wiped the sand from it, brushing the loose grains from the bed and on to the floor. He lifted her head and ran his fingers through her hair, doing the same. A full minute had passed as he tried to decide if he should undress her or not. He argued that he'd seen in her a bikini, so seeing her in her underwear wouldn't be any different.

But it was.

They were in his room. She was in his bed.

But leaving her here, fully clothed, didn't seem right either. In the end, he lifted her up gingerly and pulled the sheets and blankets out from underneath her and settled her back in bed. He pulled the covers up, and then reached beneath, easily pulling the long skirt from her body without seeing a thing.

Her shirt…that was staying on.

Elliot worried once again that perhaps she'd been drugged, and he toyed with the idea of calling the house doctor. If they even had one. He lifted her wrist and felt for her pulse. It was strong and steady. He looked at her face. Her color was good. Elliot swiped a hand across his face and decided to leave it alone. He wouldn't be sleeping anyway, so he would watch over her.

He sat down heavily on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair back from her face. "So beautiful." He whispered. He shook his head. He stood up and leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You're going to be the death of me." He said softly, but he had a smile on his face while he said it.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia woke slowly, as if she was fighting through a deep fog. When she finally opened her eyes, she realized it was still very early in the morning. A weak, faded light was barely peeking through the blinds…the eerie light before the sun fights its way across the horizon. She closed her eyes immediately, feeling unready to greet the day. She realized she had to go to the bathroom very badly, and she assumed that's what woke her. She shifted slightly, and the pain thudded deep in her head. She tried to remember what had happened the night before, but she could only recall the picnic and the bonfire…and not much after that. A memory of another man surface and she strained to remember his name. It came to her moments later. Adam. She remembered Adam and the beers and drinks she'd consumed and hear headache started to make sense.

The bathroom. She needed to use the bathroom.

If memory served, her bathroom was to her left. She wondered how much energy was required to make it there. She rolled on to her side and opened her eyes, but she was met with the site of her living room. Olivia blinked twice and furrowed her brow…confused by what she saw. There were men's clothes strewn over the back of the chair and her skirt lay in a pile on the floor. Olivia let out a groan, suddenly aware of a man's soft snore at her back.

She closed her eyes a deep breath, trying to dig for more memories from the night before. She came up blank, but realized that except for her skirt, she seemed to be dressed. And she wasn't really sore or at least, didn't feel like she'd had sex. But maybe…she couldn't be 100% sure.

What a mess.

She didn't want to move…didn't want to wake the man sleeping behind her. But her bladder was protesting, and she had to get up. Olivia decided she would get up as quietly as she could, use the bathroom, and then sneak out of the room before he woke. It certainly wouldn't be the first time she had snuck out of a man's apartment.

She wondered if it was Adam laying in bed next to her…or someone else.

Olivia slid out of bed without making much of a ripple in the bed. She hesitated one moment, when there was a break in the snoring, but she hadn't woken him. As she reached down to snag her skirt off the floor, her eye caught the men's clothes strewn over the chair. They lit on the swimsuit…sharks and mermaids against a field of blue…and she stood up abruptly.

Dread snaked through her veins, making her feel almost nauseous as she turned to look back at the bed. She swallowed hard when she saw it wasn't some stranger that lay there. God, it was Elliot.

She'd slept with Elliot.

Her hand went to her mouth, stifling a cross between a cry and a moan. It should be better that she hadn't let some strange man take her to bed, but she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that had happened. She'd slept with Elliot, and she didn't remember any of it.

She couldn't imagine how the night had unfolded…couldn't remember her role in the dance between them. Had she thrown herself at him? What had she said? Oh God…what had she told him?

_She had to get out of here. _

Olivia looked around for her things, and realized she was still holding her skirt in her hands. She scanned the room and didn't see her shoes, and she had no idea where her room key was. Her bladder made one final protest and she made her way gingerly to the bathroom, being as quiet as she possibly could. When she was done, she washed her hands and splashed cold water on her face, trying to wake herself up. Her head still hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, and all she wanted to do was slink away to her room, take some painkillers and go back to sleep. She was way too hungover to deal with this right now.

When she opened the bathroom door, she saw Elliot sitting on the end of the bed.

"How're you feeling?" he asked.

Olivia was thankful that she'd remembered to put her skirt back on, but she still felt red heat creep into her cheeks. "I'm…" She closed her mouth, unsure as to what to even say. She was hungover…tired…confused…embarrassed. He could pick almost any adjective and it'd probably fit.

Elliot could see the flush in her cheeks and hear the fluster in her voice. He stood up. "Liv. Let me explain."

Olivia didn't want to hear it. She wasn't ready to hear it. "I need to go back to my room." She said. "Where's my room key?"

"About that…" Elliot hadn't decided how much of last night he wanted to tell her about, or what she'd be ready to hear.

"Just give me my key Elliot." Olivia said. She needed to process what had happened before she could face him.

"I don't have it." Elliot stood up. "Listen…about last night."

"Oh my God, I don't want to have this conversation right now." Olivia said, pressing her fingers to her forehead and pressing lightly.

"Hey…" Elliot reached up and pulled her hand from her face. He felt her flinch slightly, and he dropped his hand. "You were really drunk and…"

_Oh my God_. It just kept getting worse. "Stop talking." She said, holding up a hand. She realized how horrible she sounded. "I just need to get some more sleep and then we can talk about…" She waved a hand back and forth between them. "What happened."

"Do you remember _anything_ that happened last night?" Elliot asked.

"No." Olivia said quickly, shaking her head. "I'm sorry." She didn't want to bruise his ego. "I'm sure it was amazing and…" She sounded deflated and she dropped her eyes, staring at the floor. This was so humiliating.

Elliot's laughed out loud, and she looked back up at him with an indignant expression on her face. But before she could say anything, he took a step closer. "Liv, we didn't sleep together, if that's what you're thinking."

"What?" Olivia narrowed her eyes. "But I was in your bed…and I was half-undressed…"

"You were drunk, and then you passed out. I couldn't find you room key, and honestly, I kind of wanted to keep an eye on you. So, I brought you back here."

Olivia sat down abruptly on the end of the bed. "We didn't…"

"We didn't…"

"Thank God." Olivia said. She saw Elliot raise an eyebrow. "I mean…I just…I don't remember and…"

Elliot cut her off. "It's OK." He said, letting her off the hook. He turned towards the bathroom. "I'm going to get cleaned up a little and then we can get some breakfast…and then we'll figure out where in the hell your room key is. And your shoes." He paused at the door and turned back to her, one hand gripping the doorframe. "And Liv?" She looked back up at him. "If we had slept together…believe me…you'd remember."


	10. Chapter 10

Elliot sat in his lounge chair, alone, staring out at the ocean. It was still early morning, and he had the place mostly to himself. The waves were crashing lazily against the shore, and the small birds were running back and forth as the water chased. The grounds crew was cleaning up seaweed and other things that had washed ashore overnight, and men and women in shorts and t-shirts were laying out towels and readying the area for their guests.

He wondered how long it would be before Olivia joined him down here. She had clearly been embarrassed this morning and eager to make her escape. He didn't know if it was the fact that she'd been drunk and couldn't remember what had happened, if it was the thought of Elliot having to carry her upstairs when she'd passed out, or her incorrect assumption about what had happened that had her so wound up. Knowing Olivia, he knew the correct answer was all of the above. He had tried to assuage her, joking that they'd all been there, but she wasn't buying it. She hadn't wanted breakfast or accepted his offer to stay there and rest. There had been a quick call to the front desk to have a bellman bring a new key and another round of embarrassment at having lost her shoes and her small purse (apparently, she'd had one). There was nothing that couldn't be replaced, but it was just another reminder that she'd lost control. And Elliot knew that was the thing she hated the most.

If she only knew…

Those few moments on the beach had kept him up for half the night. He knew he had done the right thing, but when that which has tempted you for the better part of a decade is offered up, it's so damn hard to resist. And really hard to forget. He fought his body for hours, almost having to resort to taking a cold shower or providing himself some relief. But he couldn't do that with her there in his room. He wouldn't. He already harbored enough guilt about the thoughts of her in his dreams and his weaker moments.

Elliot let out a sigh. He hoped some sleep would give her a fresh perspective. They were on vacation. She was supposed to let loose and have a little fun. He would always be there to catch her when she fell. He had also reminded her of that this morning, and that hadn't gone over well either.

He sure was getting a lot of grief for doing all the right things.

He had to remind himself again that she didn't remember half of it, so he wasn't going to score any points for that.

Ah well…such is life.

A young man delivered a Bloody Mary and a breakfast sandwich, and he settled in, wondering if Olivia would even come down to join him at all.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia rolled over onto her back and looked over at the clock on the bedside table.

11:11

Her first thought was to make a wish and she mumbled something about wishing away the previous night.

It had started so sweetly with the picnic, but then went downhill from them. She felt badly because she was the one that had dragged Elliot to the bonfire, and then she handed him a mess to clean up because she decided to go on a bender. It was so uncharacteristic of her, but she had longed to just let go and have some fun. Vacations were supposed to be like that…a time when you could throw away the stress and worry of your daily life and do things that maybe you wouldn't do back at home. That had been the plan.

She honestly didn't remember drinking that much.

Maybe it was the mixture of the wine, the beer and then the alcohol. Those slushy drinks had been strong…maybe she just didn't realize her limits anymore.

Elliot was convinced that guy at the fire…Adam…had drugged them. She had written it off as his paranoia, but she supposed it could be. Because she honestly didn't think she would pass out cold from that many drinks over that period of time. She wasn't some lightweight.

It made her sad to think that it could be possible. He had seemed like such a nice guy, staying and talking to her even after she claimed to be there with someone. Of course, maybe he was hoping to separate her from the crowd before he "significant other" returned. Her radar must have been off.

Now that she thought about it, where the hell had Elliot gone? He and Chris had disappeared for quite a while, or at least it had seemed like it. But she wouldn't ask him because she felt like he had probably given her an explanation last night and she just couldn't recall what it was.

She was thirsting for the details of her fall from grace, but her pride wouldn't let her ask. She was just hoping that she hadn't said anything stupid, like making some declaration of love or something. Or worse yet, that she hadn't tried to kiss him.

Oh God.

_Would she have done that?_

She knows she could have. Alcohol has a way of loosening lips and lowering inhibitions. That played into her job almost every day. Lots of people making bad decisions.

Olivia sat up and groaned, feeling this unending loop of questions and unknowns gnawing at her. She scrubbed her hands down her face, wondering how the rest of the day would play out.

_You would remember_.

Elliot's words came rushing back at her. She saw the smile on his lips…the look in his eyes. It was a bold statement; almost a tease. She had forgotten that Elliot had been drinking last night too. Maybe the idea of having her come to his room hadn't been as altruistic as he'd made it sound. Maybe he had planned on something more but found her too drunk to consent.

God…she wished she could remember.

The past two days had been confusing at best. Maybe she needed to put aside her self-induced shame about last night, because really, would she ever really know what happened? She needed to focus on the things she _could_ remember…the small tells that may mean he was ready to fall with her as soon as she took the leap. He was letting her know in small ways…like the picnic dinner. She just needed to put all the puzzle pieces together to bring the whole picture to life.

Olivia swung her feet out of bed, feeling better about the afternoon ahead. But as she got ready to head down to the beach, she could feel self-doubt nibbling at the edges. Because, like so much of the past eleven years between the two of them, some things were easier said than done.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot had gotten a text from Olivia, noting that she'd be down soon. He ordered them both some lunch, and a few large bottles of water, not knowing what shape she was going to be in. He still felt uneasy about the fact that she could have potentially been drugged, and worried about the aftereffects, but he wasn't going to bring it up when she'd so completely shut it down. Hopefully, it had just been a good, old-fashioned hangover and she'd slept it off, with a determination to watch what she drank from now on.

True to her word, she appeared just as lunch did. He hadn't been sure of her appetite, but she looked at the food, water and large-sized coffee he'd ordered and thanked him profusely. Whatever reticence, embarrassment, and anger she'd held on to this morning was gone, and he wondered about it, but he wasn't going to overthink it. He hadn't wanted to have to navigate that minefield, so he considered himself lucky.

"How're you feeling?" Elliot asked as Olivia pulled some sunscreen out of the bag she had dropped in the sand.

"I feel pretty good." Olivia sat down on the lounge chair, facing Elliot and the small table between them. "I just needed some sleep." She downed half a bottle of water, feeling the last remnants of her headache easing away. The painkillers she'd taken were finally doing their job, and she hoped some food and water would do the rest. "How long've you been down here?"

Elliot shrugged. "A couple of hours I guess…maybe more. I sat for a while then walked the beach. Oh…hey."

He reached into the pocket of his swimsuit and pulled out something, but Olivia couldn't see what it was.

"This is for you." Elliot extended his hand and there lay a perfectly shaped white shell, with pink edges and hue throughout. As he looked at his gift, he felt stupid. This morning, when he'd seen it laying there in the sand, it had looked so perfect…so beautiful. And he had wanted to give it to her. But there were a million shells on the beach, and she could very well pick her own.

"I love it." Olivia said, taking it gently from his hand. She looked up at Elliot and smiled. It wasn't the shell itself, but the gesture, and she could see the doubt on his face. "Really…thank you." She saw his face soften as he felt the sincerity in her face and on impulse, she stood up slightly and leaned over, planting a small kiss on his cheek. "That's very sweet."

Olivia blushed herself at the gesture and the words, and she looked away, focusing on the shell.

Elliot saw the color in her cheeks and loved that this was where they were. Two weeks ago, sitting in the stale environment of the squad room, a gift of a morning muffin or cup of coffee would have elicited a gruff thanks with very little eye contact. It had become expected…mundane.

"I'm starving." Olivia said, breaking the awkward silence. She grabbed her plate and Elliot did the same, and they ate in companionable silence as they watched the activity that surrounded them.

EOEOEOEO

"Would you mind putting some sunscreen on my back?" Olivia asked, lifting her head to look over at Elliot.

Elliot quickly averted his eyes, pretending that he hadn't been spending the last ten minutes committing every inch of bare skin and every curve to memory. When she had flipped over in her form-fitting white bikini, he'd had been somewhat happy. Looking at the way the white material had clung to her breasts and just how low the seam of her bikini lay on her abdomen had been torturous, so he thought he'd get a reprieve in staving off his impending hard-on. But he had been wrong because now, with her eyes closed, he didn't have to rely on peripheral vision. He could take her in without fear of being caught. His eyes had traced the dip in her spine…so ridiculously sexy and cut only by a thin string of white material. And her ass…God…the scant bottoms of her suit barely covered her, and he wanted to slide his hand down the curve of it to find her heat.

Memories from the night before assaulted him and he bit back a groan. It was in that next moment that she had posed her innocent question and he had no choice but to accommodate her.

Olivia smiled as Elliot stood up. She had felt his eyes on her…she could almost feel the way he took in every detail. She couldn't complain because she had done the same. Any chance to see Elliot without his shirt was a blessing, but what he didn't know was that his arms were what made her weak. The pure strength there was such a turn-on, and now she was going to take advantage of it. She heard the bottle of sunscreen open and the sound the bottle made as he squirted it into his hand, and her body clenched in anticipation of having his hands running over her skin. He didn't disappoint, starting at her shoulders and working the lotion down her back. His hands were slightly rough, but his touch was gentle, and she ached to have them in the most intimate of places.

"You can untie my top. Then I won't get a line there."

Elliot almost died as she said it, knowing it was just a matter of fact but somehow, it felt like he was undressing her. He tugged at the white string and it loosened, falling to the sides. He put more lotion on his hand and then trailed his fingers down her spine, from the back of her neck to where the material of her bottoms rested low on the curve of her back. He felt her shudder beneath his touch, and then he boldly swiped his fingers beneath the material. "Don't want you to get burned." He said by way of explanation, but he could hear the thickness in his own voice.

Her back was completely covered by now, but Elliot was certainly ratcheting up the game. She felt his hands run up her back again, and then he moved each hand towards her sides, brushing the sides of her breasts with his fingers. Her breath caught slightly…that had been purposeful…and she felt her desire snake through her body.

Elliot lifted his hands from her body, getting the reaction he'd wanted from her. "Want me to do the back of your legs?"

Olivia could still feel his hands on her, even though they weren't, and she wondered how far he'd take things. She imagined his thick fingers sliding up her inner thighs and she wondered if he'd slip his fingers beneath the seam…

"Yes? No?"

"Uh…um. I think I'm good." Olivia said, losing her nerve at the last minute. She didn't think she'd be able to handle him touching her much longer without dragging him back into the hotel. "Thanks."

"Suit yourself." Elliot said. He felt a little disappointed, because the thought of being allowed to run his hands freely down those long legs was heavenly. But it was probably a good thing because really…there was only so much a man could take before he broke. And he was so damned close…


	11. Chapter 11

AN: SO MUCH SAPPINESS AHEAD. You've been warned. LOL.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia let out a small scream as the cold water splashed onto her heated skin. She raised herself off the lounge chair, quickly grabbing at the top of her bikini when she belatedly remembered it was untied. She clasped it against her breasts as she twisted in her chair to see Elliot shaking himself off like a wet dog and grinning from ear to ear.

"That's cold!" She said with a spark of anger, but it receded quickly. Water was streaming down his torso and his wet swimsuit clung to him in all the right places. She turned in her chair as best she could, covering her breasts with her arms, and let her eyes wander down his frame. When her eyes met Elliot's, she saw that same stupid grin on his face. She didn't know if it was because he was so pleased with himself for getting a rise out of her, or if he'd caught her perusal of his body, but it didn't matter. She was just enjoying the view.

"You need to come in the water." Elliot said. "It's fantastic."

"I'm fine."

"C'mon. It's hot out here." He saw a sheen of perspiration on Olivia's skin and even though it looked amazing on her tanned skin, he knew she must be dying. He furrowed his brow slightly and sat down on the end of her lounge chair. "Have you ever swum in the ocean before?"

Olivia moved her legs to the side to accommodate Elliot's intrusion on her chair. "Swum? No." She said, shaking her head. "I'm a city girl, remember?"

"You had to have gone to the beach sometime as a kid…" Elliot let the thought trail off because knowing her unconventional childhood, he realized that maybe she hadn't. Thinking of all that Olivia had endured, and had missed out on, always made him angry. But it also made him feel a surge of protectiveness and a need to correct the wrongs. "Doesn't matter." He motioned towards the surging water. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

"I'm not afraid." Olivia said indignantly. But there was a part of her that was. She'd never taken swimming lessons as a child…never did more than stick her toes on the water on the rare times they did venture to a city pool. "I just…I don't know how to swim."

"I know you're not afraid." Elliot said gently, realizing his mistake. He held out his hand. "I promise, I won't let go of you. I've always got you. You know that."

Olivia really was hot and had been slightly jealous as she'd seen people running in and out of the water and splashing around. She imagined the cold water would be so refreshing. She wanted to be a part of it, which is why she'd been excited when Elliot had surprised her with this beach vacation. "OK." She said. "But first…maybe you could retie my top? I don't think people would appreciate me running in the water half-naked."

Elliot's heart nearly stopped at the thought of it. He figured that there probably were quite a few people on the beach right now that _would_ appreciate it…himself included. But he kept that thought to himself as he got up and moved tie her top as requested.

They both moved towards the edge of the water, and he could feel her hesitancy. He waded in up to his knees and turned, but Olivia was still standing in the sand, in the place where the water rushed up and then receded. It just lapped at her toes and he stood watching patiently.

"It's cold." Olivia said.

"You'll be fine once you get in." Elliot said. He watched her take a few more steps so that the water was lapping at her ankles, but she still had an undecided look on her face. It was so odd, because the Olivia he knew threw herself into everything without a second thought. Those were the situations he wished she _would_ take the time to think through…because her carelessness sometimes put the fear of God into him. "Do you want me to come back up there?" He asked.

"No. I'm coming. I just have to get used to the cold." Olivia wasn't naturally a fearful person, but the sound of the waves crashing up on the shore was so loud and she could see people floundering in the water as they swirled around them. She could imagine losing her footing and being swept away and the thought terrified her. She liked to be in control, and she knew that here, the ocean was a fierce competitor.

Elliot waited another minute, but then took matters into his own hands. He waded back to where she was standing and took her hands in his. "As much as I'd like to look at you stand there in that bikini all day…" He said, taking a step backwards and forcing her to move with him. "I don't like that every other man on this beach is looking at you too."

He gave her a grin as she looked up at him, and she rolled her eyes at him, appreciating the distraction. "There are a lot of beautiful women wearing a lot less than me." She said, but Elliot only shook his head. At this point, she could feel the cold water cover her ankles and then her shins and before she knew it, she was standing knee deep. She could feel the pull of the water, even at this depth, and she grabbed Elliot's hands more tightly.

"There's a slight drop off in the sand here." Elliot said, jerking his head behind him. "So, it's probably going to go up to your hips." He was trying to prepare her for the ledge in the sand. "Or it might be better just to dive in."

Olivia shook her head. She knew it would help with the adjusting to the cold water, but she wasn't ready for that.

"OK, let's just walk in, nice and easy." Elliot said. He took a few steps backwards, sinking into the deeper water and Olivia followed him in. But she lost her footing as the bottom sloped downward and he reached up and caught her, holding her in his arms until she regained her footing. "OK?"

Olivia smiled at him. The water did feel good, and even though she could feel the strength of the water trying to push them to shore, she felt secure with Elliot's hold on her. "Let's dive in."

"Yeah?" Elliot asked, a little surprised.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah."

Elliot broke into another grin. "That's the badass I know." He still had a hold of both hands. "You want me to hold on to you or let you go?"

Olivia felt a little foolish at this point. She was a grown woman, and little kids were splashing around in the water with absolutely no fear. "I've got it." She felt Elliot drop her hands, and she steeled herself a little more against the motion of the waves.

"On 3." Elliot said. He counted down and then dove into the waves. Olivia hesitated a moment, and then dove in after him, letting out a small yell as the cold water hit her face and upper body. She closed her eyes but opened them when she surfaced. She panicked for a moment, feeling disoriented as she faced the ocean. She couldn't see the shore…couldn't see Elliot. Her feet couldn't find purchase and she swallowed a mouthful of saltwater as she called for him.

Elliot saw Olivia ahead of him and he read the panic in the way she was thrashing around. He came up quickly behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "I've got you." He said, pulling her back up against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist, tightening his hold on her, and he felt her fingers dig into his arms as she held on to him. "You're OK." He spun them around so they faced the shoreline and he felt her relax in his arms. "OK?"

"Yeah." She said, letting out another cough. "I just got a mouthful of water and I got disoriented for a minute." They bobbed there in the waves, riding along with them as they crested and rushed towards the shore. Olivia relaxed even more, liking the feel of the cold water and the freedom of floating in the water. She felt Elliot's arms loosen around her and she clutched them. "Don't let go."

"You're fine." Elliot said. "You can probably even touch the bottom here."

Olivia extended her legs slightly and felt her toe drag the surface of the sand, but she felt no compulsion to stand on her own two feet. "I kind of like it like this."

Elliot wasn't going to argue, no matter how surprised he was by her comment. He tried not to focus on the way her ass was settled against his groin, or the way her breasts rested against his right arm. He pulled his left arm back slightly, splaying his hand against her abdomen, keeping her tightly against him. He just willed himself not to get a hard-on here in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by hundreds of other people. Of course, it would be so easy so slip off her bottoms…

"Did you say something?" Olivia asked, hearing a small sound from Elliot.

"Huh?" Elliot was caught off-guard. Had he said something out loud? God help him. "No."

"Hmm." Olivia said. She could feel the bulge in Elliot's swimsuit pressed against her and she wondered if the same things were on his mind as were going through hers. She tried to shake them…this wasn't the time or the place…but this game they'd been playing since they arrived was certainly ratcheting up. She purposefully pushed her ass into him and clutched his hands. "OK. I've got this." She used her feet to push off his thighs, and he released her.

For a moment, she thought maybe it was a bad idea, as the next wave caught her and moved her towards shore. But she fought down her panic, and rode it out, laughing as it carried her farther in. Her feet hit bottom and she stood, steeling herself against the next wave. She saw Elliot right where she presumed she had left him, treading water and watching her. With all the bravado she could muster, she dove back in the water, aiming in his direction. She broke the surface and spun around, looking for him, but she had lost direction in the water. She turned towards him again and made another dive into the water…her body's natural reflexes taking over. When she popped to the surface again, she saw Elliot was just a few feet from her.

Elliot was grinning as he swam over to her. "Look at you." He said, knowing that once he got her out here, she'd overcome her fear.

Olivia reached for his shoulders and pulled herself into him, slipping her legs around his waist and her arms further around her check.

Elliot was surprised, and wrapped his arms around her waist, supporting her in the water. He walked a few feet towards the shore so he could get better footing in the strong current.

"Thank you." Olivia said, giving him a big smile.

"For what?" Elliot said. "You're the one that did it."

"For always challenging me. For always believing in me, even when I don't believe in myself. For always being there to support me." Olivia hesitated for a moment. "For always just…" The words _loving me_ popped into her mind, but she couldn't say them, even though she thought them to be true. Before she could even think about it, she lowered her mouth to his and grasped his lips with hers, kissing him gently…slowly.

Elliot hadn't been expecting it. The words or the kiss. It took him a moment to realize this was real. Olivia was kissing him. He slid his hand behind her head, anchoring her to him and deepened the kiss. There was nothing frantic about it, as he imagined a first kiss might be. It was sweet…reverent…full of promises of things to come and love at its core. There was no push and pull…just a coming together of two souls that fit together so naturally, it scared him a little.

He felt Olivia pull back slightly, and he could see a slight blush on her cheeks. She looked at him almost shyly, but he lifted her chin with two fingers and brushed his lips against hers, letting her know how much that kiss meant and that she didn't have to shy away from what was happening here. He wanted to tell her that he loved her…that he had loved her for so long…but he thought that right now, she wasn't ready to hear it. He felt her legs loosening around him, and he let her go, watching as she rode the waves into the shore.


	12. Chapter 12

Olivia emerged from the water and adjusted her suit, as it has shifted in the water. She was filled with equal parts elation and anxiety.

She had kissed Elliot.

_God…she had kissed Elliot._

It had been a forbidden desire for so long, it didn't seem possible. She wasn't even certain what had compelled her to do it, but it had just seemed right.

And after his initial surprise, Elliot had kissed her back.

She swore she could still taste him on her lips, and she put her fingers to her mouth, smiling to herself as she thought about the way she had wrapped her legs around him. They fit together so perfectly, just as she had always assumed they would.

She wondered what Elliot was thinking right now. There was an underlying fear that he regretted it and that things would be awkward, but with the way he had kissed her, she really didn't think that was the case. In fact, she was surprised he hadn't pulled her back as she'd made her escape, or that he wasn't right behind her.

Maybe he needed to cool off. The thought brought another small smile to her face as she reached her chair and snagged her towel from where she'd left it.

"Olivia."

She looked up and was shocked to see the man from the bonfire standing there. It took her a second to recall his name. "Adam." She said, the surprised evident in her voice. "What are you doing here?" She looked around, wondering how in the hell he had found her.

"I've been looking for you. You left your purse…last night…" Adam waved down the beach, in the direction of the party from the night before. "It had your hotel key card inside but there was no ID."

Olivia stood in place, unsure of how to react. She knew she should probably thank him, but she didn't like the fact that he had tracked her down here, nor did she like the way his eyes were wandering right now. _That guy probably spiked your drink._ Elliot's words flitted through her mind, and she pulled her towel up to cover her chest. As soon as she did, Adam's eyes lifted back to hers.

"You left so quickly last night. I wanted to catch up with you, but…" He hesitated. "Anyway, I'm staying here at the same hotel, so I hoped I'd run into you."

Olivia couldn't remember if he had told her where he was staying, but for some reason, she had thought he was staying at the hotel where the party was being held. Maybe she had just presumed it. "Oh. Thanks. I didn't really have anything important in it."

"Well, it's easy enough to get back to you. It's up in my room." Adam said.

"Hey." Elliot walked up and stood by Olivia's side. He looked back and forth between the two of them. "What's going on?" He had heard the word _up in my room_, and he didn't like it.

"Adam found my purse." Olivia said, feeling Elliot's intensity rolling off him in waves.

Elliot didn't like the fact that this man was standing there in front of them, and he didn't like the way he was looking at Olivia. He didn't know if he had drugged Olivia the night before or if he'd taken her purse on purpose, but he wasn't going to get into it there on the beach. He wanted this guy gone…and he wanted him to get the message that he needed to stay away from Olivia.

"Yeah…that's what I heard. How convenient that it's up in your room." He shifted on his feet. "How about if I come up and get it. Would that be OK?"

Olivia reached out and touched Elliot's arm, hearing the challenge in his voice. "I don't need it. I have a new key and it was just some lipstick and a few bucks in there."

Elliot moved towards Adam, and he saw the man take a step back. _Maybe he wasn't so stupid after all._ "Tell you what…" Elliot said, adopting a tone of patience. He saw Adam relax slightly, and he moved slightly closer, leaning in slightly. "You just leave it at the front desk or concierge. I don't care which one. And then you just forget about this…and Olivia." He stopped. "You hear me?"

Adam tried to look over Elliot's shoulder at Olivia, but Elliot stood up and moved slightly, blocking his view. "Yeah." Adam said, his tone completely deflated. "I wasn't trying to…"

Elliot interrupted him. "Yeah…you were." He took another step towards the man. "You're lucky I'm not asking you about what you put in Olivia's drink last night." He saw Adam shaking his head, ready with a denial, but Elliot didn't even give him a chance. "Time to go." He said dismissively.

Olivia could hear the entire exchange, and she was slightly uncomfortable with how aggressive Elliot was being, but on the other hand, she was a little unsure about the previous night. Adam had seemed like a nice guy, but there was something slightly off. She saw Adam open his mouth again, like he was going to say something more, but he must have thought better of it, and he closed it again. But then he looked pointedly at Olivia.

"Nice to meet you." He said, and then he turned and headed off down the beach.

Elliot turned towards Olivia and saw her still clutching her towel to her chest. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Olivia said.

He walked back towards her, standing on the opposite side of her lounge chair. "He say something to you?" He thought she looked a little upset. "Was he out of line?"

"No." Olivia said emphatically. "I just don't know how he found me." She waved her hand towards the chairs lined up on the beach. "There are so many people out here and at the pool…it seems like an odd coincidence."

"It wasn't a coincidence." Elliot said. "He was looking for you." He glanced down the beach at Adam's disappearing figure. "I don't think he's staying here either." He swung his gaze back to her. "I don't like it."

Olivia reached out and placed her hand on Elliot's arm.

"Let's not make this into something it's not." She said. She liked the fact that Elliot was always watching over her, but sometimes it bordered on paranoia. "He's not going to sneak in and steal me away." Olivia said with a small laugh, trying to lighten the tension. She could feel it in the way his muscles were coiled beneath the skin.

"Damn right he's not." Elliot said, somewhat jokingly, as he tried to get back to that feeling he'd had after that incredible kiss. _Goddamn Adam fuckingwhoever_. He walked around the lounge chair, and Olivia tracked him, turning to face him as he neared. He reached out and covered her hand with his, loosening her hold on her towel. To his credit, he kept his eyes trained on hers as it fell away, despite his desire to take her in. "Because you're here with someone…right?" He repeated her line from the night before.

Olivia could sense the playfulness was back, so even though she wanted to give him some grief about his overreaction, she let it slide. She gave him a coy smile and lowered her eyes, looking up at him through her lashes. "Well…"

Elliot pulled her closer, and her breasts brushed his chest. "Right?" He asked again, dropping his voice a few octaves.

Olivia wanted to toy with him, so she hesitated for a few moments, trying to think of some clever comeback. But Elliot leaned in, brushing his lips along her jaw until his mouth feathered across the shell of her ear.

"That kiss already gave me my answer." He whispered, chucking slightly as he stood up and released her hand.

EOEOEOEO

The afternoon was peppered with lunch, a nap, and frequent trips to dip in the cool water as a reprieve from the heat. Olivia had worried that things would seem tense as they each wondered what was going to happen as the day and week went on, but instead, she felt a sense of ease. That impetuous kiss had broken something loose in her, and Elliot's reaction was the confirmation she had needed that they were both in the same frame of mind.

"Tomorrow's your birthday." Elliot said.

Olivia turned her head lazily to look at him. "Yeah."

"I made plans for the day. I hope that's okay." Elliot had wanted the day to be special, but now he worried that maybe she wanted to do whatever she wanted.

"What are the plans?"

"I can't tell you." He said.

"Can't? Or won't?" Olivia said.

"I want it to be a surprise."

"You already surprised me with this entire vacation. You don't need to do anything else."

Elliot cocked his head and gave her a look that told her that was never an option. "I wanted to do this, so don't ruin my fun."

Olivia smiled. "Well…I guess I'm going to have to trust you, because so far, this week is even better than I thought it could be." She had never had anyone in her life that spoiled her like this, and while she liked to think of herself as independent, she had to admit it was nice.

"Yeah?" Elliot broke into a grin. Olivia's comment was laced with double meaning, or at least that was how he interpreted it. "You haven't seen anything yet. I'm just getting warmed up."

EOEOEOEO

Olivia woke to the insistent buzzing of her phone. It was vibrating against the wooden top of the nightstand, and as she snagged it, she saw it was Elliot calling.

"Yeah?" She answered. Her voice was thick with sleep; she had really been knocked out.

"Are you all right?"

"What?" Olivia was confused by the question.

"I've texted you several times and you didn't respond." Elliot said. "I was just about to come over there and break in the door."

"I must have fallen asleep." Olivia looked at the clock and saw it was 8:30pm. "Oh God…it's 8:30!" She swiped a hand across her face. They had come up from the beach at 4 and had a couple of drinks at the patio by the pool, but she had been back in her room by 530. She had just laid down for a second. She tried to focus on what Elliot was saying; she had missed half of it. "What?"

"Jeez." Elliot let out a sigh. "I said I was worried because of the way that Adam guy had tracked you down. I thought…"

"I fell asleep." She repeated. She thought Elliot was overreacting about Adam, but they both did at times. It was just a result of the job they did and the things they saw.

"Maybe you still have some drugs in your system." Elliot said.

Olivia rolled her eyes, even though Elliot couldn't see her. "I don't have drugs in my system. I never had drugs in my system."

"You don't know that."

Olivia let out a frustrated sigh. "We were in the sun all day and we had a few drinks. I'm just tired." Even now, she still couldn't seem to wake up. "What's so urgent?"

"Our dinner reservation was at 8." Elliot said pointedly. "So, I thought you might want to be awake for that." He realized he sounded like an ass; it was just an outcome of the stress that had been building as Olivia had been unreachable. He didn't like that feeling. He softened his tone. "I can see if we can change it to something later. How long do you need to get ready?"

Olivia closed her eyes. The thought of showering and doing her hair and make-up…just the entire thing…sounded like so much effort. "I'm still in my suit."

"OK." He honestly didn't have any reference beyond his wife and his daughters. Olivia seemed to be able to pull herself together quickly when they were called out in the middle of the night, but this was slightly different. "An hour?"

"I don't really feel like going out. It seems like a lot of effort and I'm still half-asleep."

"Oh." Elliot said. "Well…OK."

Olivia could hear the disappointment in his voice. "It sounds like you have a big day planned for us tomorrow, so how about if you come over here? We can order room service and watch a movie or something and just keep it casual." She had an entire living room area with a big couch, oversized chairs, and an oversized TV that luxury hotels seemed favor. Why not put it to use?

Elliot had showered and gotten all dressed up, so there was a part of him that was miffed. But he chided himself to get over it because the thought of a casual evening alone with Olivia sounded fantastic. They didn't hang out outside of work very often, at least not by themselves, and it could be fun. He tried not to think about the way she had kissed him today, or the lingering glances that had gone back and forth on the beach today. He tried not to read anything into her invitation, knowing that at its core, it was nothing more than an invitation from someone that'd had a long day and wanted to relax. _He was failing._ "You know what? That sounds like a great idea."

"I still need to shower and change." Olivia said. "So, give me about 20 minutes."

"OK."

"Don't dress up because I'll probably be in my pajamas." The moment she said it, she realized how it sounded. "I mean…I just meant I'll probably be in sweats or …"

"I got it." Elliot said, unable to keep a vision of Olivia in some kind of slinky nightgown out of his head. He was hopeless. His dreams were taking over conscious thought; as if that kiss had given them permission to spill over. "I'll be over in 20."

Olivia hung up the phone and lay there for a minute, wondering if she'd made a mistake inviting Elliot to her room. They would be alone…completely alone. There was nothing to keep them in check, and they'd be less than 50 feet from her bed. She hoped she hadn't given him the wrong idea. But she knew it wasn't Elliot that she was going to have to worry about. It was her own thoughts and actions she was going to be fighting to control.


	13. Chapter 13

Elliot knew he was being ridiculous, but he changed for a third time. The sweatpants and t-shirt had seemed just a bit too casual when he had changed out of his dinner attire. Even though Olivia had used the word casual, he couldn't imagine it would be using his definition of the word. She'd probably be wearing a nice shirt or sweater and jeans, or something similar. So, he had ditched the sweatpants and pulled on a pair of jeans but opted to leave the t-shirt. It was one of his favorites, and it was worn in and comfortable.

He looked at his watch, intent on giving her 30 minutes instead of the 20 she had asked for, but he found time passing slowly. It was absolutely ridiculous, but he had missed her in the hours they'd been apart. He knew it was probably just the fact that he wasn't used to have any downtime, and because he had been slightly worried about her. There was nothing wrong, but he still felt the need to see her…just like he did when they get separated chasing a perp or anything like that. Seeing her standing there, whole and unharmed, always brought a sense of relief.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and he slid it out. There was a text from Olivia. _Coming?_ His mind went places it shouldn't and a slightly lewd response came to mind. He chastised himself as he looked at the time. Exactly 20 minutes had passed. Of course.

He didn't even bother to respond. He was out of his room and walking to her door in the time it would have taken him to even type and send a one-word response. He saw she had propped her door open with the safety guard and he bit back the need to warn her about deliberately leaving her door open for anyone to walk in. She knew the drill.

"Hey." He said as he walked in and closed it behind him. He flipped the security bar out of habit and walked into the living room. The TV was on, and he saw a couple of cold beers sitting on the coffee table, but there was no Olivia. He glanced over towards the table and could see a small part of her bedroom area around the corner, but he looked away quickly. He didn't want to catch her still dressing…even though he knew she wouldn't have told him to come over.

Elliot heard the bathroom door open half a minute later, and Olivia came around the corner moments later. She was wearing black leggings and a gray, zip up hooded sweatshirt. The zipper pull was hanging beneath her breasts, and he saw a white, tight-fighting tank top beneath. The tank scooped down low over her breasts, and he lifted his eyes to hers, but not before seeing a glimpse of pale pink lace peeking out from beneath the tank top. _Pink._ It took him by surprise, and he broke into a grin. "Hey."

"Hey." Olivia snagged a book off the coffee table and sat down on one end of the couch.

"Isn't that my sweatshirt?"

Olivia shrugged. "You never asked for it back." The sweatshirt had gone back and forth between them over the years, but she'd had it for at least six months. If she breathed deeply, she imagined she could still smell him enmeshed in the material.

"True." Elliot fell onto the other end of the couch. "That's okay. It looks better on you."

Olivia smirked, flipping open the book on her lap without looking at him. She wasn't used to those kinds of comments from him, and she didn't know how to react. "What're you hungry for?"

Elliot realized he must have sex on the brain, because everything Olivia said sounded likesome kind of come-on. Maybe she was doing it on purpose…flirting with him. Or maybe it was just him. But he didn't have an answer, and he saw Olivia glance over at him with a furrowed brow.

"Did you say something?" She asked.

Elliot wondered if he'd said something out loud. "I don't think so."

"So…?" Olivia lifted her brows as she waved the room service menu at him.

"You pick something." Elliot said, waving his hand towards it. He picked up the remote control for the TV and started surfing through the channels, looking for something to watch. He heard Olivia flipping through pages of the book, and he tried not to look at the way she was biting on her lower lip as she considered the options.

"How about we just get a few different things and share?" It was common for them to steal a little from each other's plates or Styrofoam take-out containers, so she didn't think Elliot would object.

"Sounds good to me." Elliot said, turning to look over at her. "Whatever you want." He tossed the remote on the table and picked up the hotel phone on the table to his right. He punched the button for room service and looked expectantly back at Olivia. When the person on the other end answered, he relayed the order as Olivia rattled off her choices, and then added some beer. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she immediately shook her head.

"None for me." She whispered, in response to his unasked question.

Elliot hung up the phone and settled back in his spot, glancing at Olivia. Her hair was still damp from her shower and he reached over and grasped a few strands between his fingers, resting his hand lightly on her shoulder. "I like your hair like this."

"Like what?" Olivia gave him an odd look and then turned her attention back to the guide that was scrolling on the TV.

"It has kind of has a wave to it." Since they'd been in the water, he'd had a chance to see how her hair dried naturally, and he liked it.

"Yeah, well…" Olivia shrugged. She'd been straightening out the wave for as long as she could remember…unless electricity wasn't easily at hand. _Like Oregon_. And the beach.

"It's natural." He let loose her locks and slid his fingers lightly down the line of her jaw. He grasped her chin lightly and turned her head until she was looking back at him. Her shower had wiped away her makeup, and he could see the effect of the sun on her cheeks. "A natural beauty." He saw the blush in her lower cheeks, and she lowered her eyes, obviously embarrassed by his comment. Elliot let go of her then, and she looked away. "Why does that bother you?"

"It doesn't." Olivia said, pushing herself off the couch.

Elliot snagged her wrist and she stopped but didn't turn to look at him. "Obviously, it does." He waited a beat. "You must have had a hundred men tell you that you're beautiful…" He stopped as a sudden realization hit him square in the chest. "Hey." He said, tugging lightly on her wrist. "Look at me."

Olivia turned reluctantly, pretty certain that whatever he wanted to say, he wasn't going to drop it. She cocked her head slightly, letting out a small sigh as she did.

"It bothers you that it's _me_ telling you that." He said. Olivia's eyes dropped to the floor, and he knew he was right. He tugged her a little closer, and he stood up, still grasping her wrist with his hand. He reached up with his right hand and framed her face…letting his thumb stroke the apple of her cheek. He heard a small intake of breath from Olivia, but she didn't pull away. He felt emboldened by the way she had kissed him, and it felt important to let her know that he was in…if that was the path she wanted to lead him down…he was in. Suddenly, the teasing and the innuendo from today, really, from the moment they had left the city, didn't seem like enough to let her know how he was really feeling.

Olivia felt like she was holding her breath, waiting to see what Elliot was going to say or do. She wondered how things had turned from a fun, casual night to something so seemingly serious, and a part of her wanted to break away and ask him what he thought he was doing. But a larger part of her wanted to see if he would kiss her.

But in the next few moments, her earlier thoughts crowded out her curiosity.

She was alone with him…in her room…50 feet from her bed.

It scared her.

Olivia reached up and touched his hand with her fingertips. "El…" She said his name softly…with a question buried in that single syllable.

Elliot ignored her completely, already focused on the pink swell of her lips. He leaned in and captured her mouth, kissing her gently. He released her wrist, and moved his other hand to waist, sliding his hand lightly around the back of her neck, anchoring her to him. He deepened the kiss slightly, testing the waters, but Olivia didn't resist. He felt the tension leave her body as she gave in to the kiss, and then he felt her fingers digging lightly into his waist. It was slow…sensuous. Neither one of them pushed to take it any farther, as if they were taking their time to really learn the feel of them together…the taste of each other.

Olivia knew she should push him away, but instead, she found herself sliding her hands up his torso, flattening her palms against his chest. She could feel his heart beating in his chest, and it matched her own. She felt a small wave of disappointment when Elliot broke the kiss…thinking he was putting on the brakes. But it was short lived, as Elliot kissed his way down her jaw. Olivia found herself tilting her head, giving him access to her neck, and Elliot continued to trail his lips down her neck. He reached down and pushed her sweatshirt to the side slightly, landing on the soft skin at the juncture of her neck. He sucked and teased the skin there, and she felt herself loosening inside…giving herself into the sensation. Elliot's right hand moved down her arm, and rested in the dip at her waist, and he tugged her slightly closer.

Elliot had only intended to steal a kiss, but she smelled wonderful after her shower and she was so damn irresistible…he wanted to taste her…feel her soft skin beneath his lips. She was an eager participant… pliable in his hands…and he knew he should stop, but he found his hand skimming down her hip and slipping beneath the edge of her sweatshirt. Olivia made a sound, and he felt her hands tense against his chest, and he flattened his palm against the material of her leggings. He worked his way back up her neck until he was near her ear. "Trust me." He whispered softly.

Ironically, this made Olivia's heart rate soar.

She trusted Elliot implicitly, but they were in uncharted territory here, and she wondered why he was asking her to trust him now. She wanted to just give in…to let herself lose control…to give control to him, but she didn't know if she could.

Just a few minutes longer though…

How much trouble could they get into in just a few minutes?

She slid her hands around Elliot's neck as his lips found hers again. The movement of her hands allowed Elliot to pull her closer, and she felt his hand slide up to her waist again. This time, he hit skin, and the heat of his hand seared her skin. She wanted to moan into his mouth, but she bit it back, afraid to let him know just how much his kisses were affecting her.

Elliot could feel Olivia melt against him, letting him know that she had heard him. But he was surprised when she slipped her tongue into his mouth. He wasted no time in reciprocating, meeting her tongue with his. He dug his fingers into her waist, pulling her more closely against him. He knew this was going a lot farther than he had planned, but he never wanted to stop kissing her.

A sudden knock at the door made them both freeze and a second knock brought reality rushing back in. He broke off the kiss and looked down at her. He saw the flush in her cheeks but confusion in her eyes. "Room service." He said throatily. He could see the rise and fall of her chest in his peripheral vision, and he cursed the timing of their food delivery.

"It's okay." Olivia said. "It's…" She swallowed hard. "It's probably…" She couldn't seem to form a sentence…her lips still buzzing from Elliot's kisses.

Elliot knew what she was saying. As much as he hated the interruption, he knew that it was probably a good thing. It was too easy to get carried away, and he didn't want to rush things. He just had this inherent feeling that rushing things was a sure way to scare the hell out of her.

There was another knock at the door, and it broke the reverie. Elliot took a step back, moving around her to get the door. He shifted uncomfortably as he walked; it was amazing what a few kisses from that woman did to him. All of that pent-up desire…

When he opened up the door, the waiter wheeled a small table into the room. Elliot turned to follow him and saw that Olivia had disappeared. He signed for the dinner, and the saw the waiter out. When he turned back and started looking under the covers of the various dishes.

Elliot glanced towards the bathroom, hoping he hadn't done anything to keep her holed up in her bathroom all night.

Olivia leaned against the counter in the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her lips were red from kissing, and the skin around them slightly chafed from Elliot's stubble. She turned her head slightly, pushing her sweatshirt aside to see a small red mark that Elliot had left on her skin. She should be mad, but somehow the thought that Elliot had marked her made her smile.

She was his…

She hadn't intended for this to happen tonight, but she had no regrets. The interruption had been unfortunate to some degree, but she also didn't want to just fall into bed with Elliot.

She dropped her head back and let out a small groan. Who was she kidding? Of course, she did. But she knew it would be better to take things slowly. That they couldn't undo 11 long years in two days. There was a lot at risk.

And a lot to gain.

Olivia let out another groan. Relationships never got any easier. And this one…it was more complicated than most.

Olivia took a deep breath and brushed her hands through her hair. She screwed up her courage and left the bathroom. She saw Elliot standing by the food, and he looked up at her with a question on his face.

"Are you starting without me?" Olivia asked. She saw him visibly relax at her teasing and the tone of her voice, and she gave him a smile.

Elliot felt the tension he'd been feeling dissipate, and he started moving the covered plates of food to the coffee table. "Find something to watch." He said. "Or I'm going to find a hockey or basketball game." He grabbed the beers and reclaimed his spot on the couch. He was pleased to see Olivia sit down next to him. He glimpsed at her, and she seemed find, but he couldn't seem to leave it alone. "You know I didn't come over here tonight expecting…"

Olivia slipped her hand over to his knee and squeezed it lightly. "I know." She said. She pulled her hand back and lifted one of the covers from the food. She glanced back at him and gave him a mischievous smile. "I'll just consider it an early birthday present."

Elliot couldn't keep the grin off his face, looking forward to the rest of the evening, and anxious to see what tomorrow would bring.


	14. Chapter 14

Elliot ate his fair share of the food Olivia had ordered, but his appetite was far from sated. He couldn't get the feel of Olivia's body against his out of his mind. Even though the contact had been brief, it had ignited a fire inside him that had been smoldering for years.

This trip and everything that had happened over the past few days was messing with his mind. It had changed everything, and yet, he was still unsure about what that meant or where things stood between them. He had been the one to kiss her tonight, but he was still determined to let Olivia make every decision about what direction this was headed. But the waiting and uncertainty was killing him. He wouldn't be able to bear it if she didn't let it go beyond a few brief exchanges.

He glanced over at Olivia, curled up on her corner of the couch with her legs tucked beneath her. She was eating the last of some fruit salad, and his eyes trailed from her face to the swell of her breasts, landing on the pull of the zipper. He could imagine pulling it down…

Elliot heard Olivia clear her throat, and his eyes flicked back up to hers. He saw that look…the one that said he was busted. He knew he should be embarrassed but he just grinned. This week had been all about pushing boundaries between them so far, so he wasn't going to shy away from what had been taboo before. He saw a small smile on her face, and he knew she was probably thinking about all the same things he was.

Elliot glanced back at the TV, but it was just noise in the background. They'd never really settled on anything, but they had to find something to watch. He needed the distraction. The remote was on the table in front of him, and he grabbed it, glancing back at Olivia. "Are you ready to find something to watch?"

Olivia untucked her legs from beneath her, put her feet on the floor, and set the plate on the table. She snagged the remote from his hand. "First, I want to hear what you have planned for tomorrow." She knew he had the entire day planned, and although she had intended on waiting to find out the details, her curiosity was killing her.

"It's a surprise."

Olivia cocked her head and narrowed her eyes slightly, giving him a small smile. "C'mon." She said. "How'm I going to know what to wear?"

"Well…" Elliot's eyes trailed down her body and back up again. "I'll tell you one thing. Your day starts at 9, and you won't need any clothes at all." His voice was purposefully laced with innuendo, thinking he'd get her to stop asking questions. But instead, he saw her eyebrows raise in curiosity, and she sunk her teeth into her lower lip, as if contemplating the possibilities.

"That sounds promising." Olivia said. A myriad of options ran through her mind, including Elliot waking her up with breakfast in bed and with a serving of himself on the side, and she felt a small thrum low in her belly.

"Well…you're going to be alone…so…" Elliot shrugged, wondering how she was going to respond to that.

"That works too." Olivia shot back. She saw that Elliot didn't know how to take her comment, and she enjoyed his slight discomfort. She leaned in slightly. "So, are you going to tell me now? Or are we doing to keep playing this game?"

Elliot couldn't get rid of the image of Olivia that she'd placed in his head. "You win." He said, holding up his hands in defense.

Olivia smiled triumphantly. She'd love to know what was going on in Elliot's head right now. "Yeah?"

Elliot wasn't going to let her gloat. "I booked an appointment for you at the spa. First, you're going to have a 45-minute detoxifying bath, and then a 60-minute massage."

"A detoxifying bath?" Olivia couldn't imagine Elliot coming up with that idea himself or making the reservation.

"Yeah." Elliot said. "I thought it sounded relaxing."

"It sounds great." Olivia said, wanting Elliot to know she appreciated the gesture. "I just…" She shook her head slightly. "You came up with this yourself?"

"You don't think I can figure that stuff out?" he asked, acting offended. He couldn't hold the expression. "OK. I wanted to give you a spa day, but I might have gotten some input from Kathleen and Elizabeth on exactly what you'd like." Elliot admitted.

Olivia nodded and let out a small laugh. "That makes sense."

"I made the appointment myself though."

"It sounds wonderful." Olivia said appreciatively…her voice ending with a slight groan. "I haven't had a massage for a long time…" Olivia dropped her head back on the couch and closed her eyes. "I can already feel the warm blankets…"

Elliot watched Olivia's reaction…the muscles of her face relaxing…her lips parted. "Do you need a moment?" He teased.

Olivia opened her eyes, and turned her head, rolling her eyes at him as she let out a small laugh. "Maybe."

Elliot called her bluff and pretended to get up from the sofa, but he felt Olivia's hand on his arm.

"Sit down." She said with a laugh.

He glanced backwards and saw her roll her eyes again and he fell back on the couch.

"That really does sound wonderful." She said. "But you've already done so much…"

"I told you that I was going to spoil you on our birthday…"

"But…"

"No buts. Just enjoy the day." Elliot said emphatically. "Please."

Olivia nodded, pressing her lips together. "OK." She inched up a little closer to the edge of the couch, and her right knee knocked his. She turned her head and looked at him. "I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you for all of this." She said softly. She saw Elliot's right eyebrow raise slightly, and she thought he might have a few ideas. "Or maybe you have something in mind?"

"I didn't do all this so that you'd owe me…" Elliot said. He hoped to God that Olivia was just toying with him and that she didn't really think this whole vacation had been an elaborate plan to get her into bed.

At least…that hadn't been his intention when he'd planned the whole thing.

"I know that." Olivia said. She hated that he sounded so offended. She reached out and placed her hand on Elliot's knee, squeezing it gently. "I know you'd never do that."

She was silent for a minute but there was still a question in the back of her mind. "El…" She waited until he had turned to face her again. He looked apprehensive, and she almost bit back her question, but she had to know. "If I hadn't kissed you…"

"Would I have kissed you first?" He knew exactly what she was thinking, and he finished the sentence for her. He let out a heavy sigh. "I honestly don't know. I…" He shook his head. "I don't think so."

Olivia felt a stab of disappointment and now she felt like a fool…like she'd thrown herself at him.

"Not because I didn't want to." Elliot said quickly, seeing the self-doubt on her face. "God Liv…not because I didn't want to." He shook his head, thinking about all the times he'd had to fight the urge to do just that. "I've wanted to kiss you for as long as I can remember." The confession felt freeing, after having held it in for so long.

This was the closest they'd been to an honest conversation that Olivia could ever remember. A hundred questions pored through her mind, but one bubbled to the top. "Then why…if you felt that way…"

"It wasn't up to me." Elliot said.

Olivia was confused at first. Was he blaming her for everything that had happened, or hadn't happened, in the past?

"We just never got out of our own way." Elliot said.

Olivia thought about what he was saying, and she supposed there was some truth to it. There had been many times over the years when she'd expected him to say something…make a move…_anything_. But he'd done nothing. And there were plenty of times she had pushed him away as well. "And now?"

"I told you…I didn't have any ulterior motives when I planned this trip. I just wanted to relax and have some fun." He said firmly. "Just get away from everything…maybe flirt a little."

She wasn't getting a direct answer to her question, but in his way, she felt like he was telling her that he was happy with how things were going. "A little?" She teased, trying to lighten the mood and let him off the hook a little.

Elliot shrugged. "Or a lot. But hey, you're doing your fair share." He thought about the bikini's, and the night on the beach. Too bad she couldn't remember any of that. He put up his hands. "I'm not complaining…" He needed to clarify. "I'm not complaining _at all_. I'm just saying…I'm leaving it all up to you."

"Me?" Olivia asked, her eyes widening. She didn't want the responsibility for defining what they became to each other.

"Just relax." Elliot said, running his hand down her arm. "I didn't mean it like it sounds. I just wanted to have a week where we could just be who we want to be around each other. Where we didn't need to worry about appearances or consequences."

"No consequences." Olivia repeated. She wasn't exactly certain if she liked the sound of that or hated it, or if she even knew what he meant by it.

Elliot wanted to kick himself when he heard the uncertainty in her voice. This was the last thing he'd wanted to discuss tonight, and he felt like he'd said too much. "You're upset."

"I'm not." Olivia said. She was warming up to the idea of there not being any consequences. She slid her hand back up his arm, slipping her fingers beneath the sleeve of his t-shirt and squeezing his arm. "I'm not upset at all." She ran her had down his arm and grasped his hand with hers. "You know…sometimes you can really be an ass…but every once in a while…you totally redeem yourself." She stood up slightly, and turned her body, sliding her leg over his lap until she was straddling him, careful to keep herself from resting on his thighs completely. Elliot leaned back to accommodate her, and she could see the surprise on his face. But she didn't give him a chance to say anything. She leaned in and ghosted her lips over his. "This trip…well…you've outdone yourself." She grasped his lips with hers and kissed him deeply, digging her fingers into his shoulders.

Elliot couldn't process how they'd gone from a semi-serious discussion to this…but he wasn't complaining. He had told her how he felt about what was happening as best as he could, and she seemed to okay with it. He slid his hands up her thighs until they slid beneath her sweatshirt and rested them on her hips. He kissed her back with an intensity that surprised even him, feeling the need swell up inside of him. He pulled his mouth from Olivia's. "God Liv…" He groaned as she dropped her lips to his neck. He dug his fingers into her hips, resisting the urge to pull her down on his lap completely. "Wait." He said, and Olivia lifted her head to look at him. He saw the question in her eyes, but he had to know. "You're not doing this because…"

"What?" Olivia asked, and then she realized what he was asking. "Seriously? You think I'm doing this as some kind…" His question pissed her off a little. "I told you…" She let out a huff, starting to climb off his lap.

Elliot held her in place with his hands. "No." He shook his head. "I'm…no. I'm just being an idiot." He could see her considering his response and trying to decide whether she believed him or not. "It's not the first time I've been an idiot." He cocked his head and gave her his best puppy dog expression.

Olivia sighed. She'd never been able to resist those blue eyes. "True." Her eyes dropped to his lips, and her lust won out. "Let's get this birthday started again."

Elliot lifted her up and Olivia let out a little yelp of surprise. He turned and lay her down on the couch, crouching over her as his lips descended on hers. He wasted no time in slipping his tongue between her lips and he kissed her with an intensity that surprised even him.

Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to pull his body down against hers. But he had his arms locked, and she was no match for his strength. She let out a sound of frustration, but Elliot just smiled against her mouth. He pulled away slightly. "You may have started this, but I'm in control now."

Olivia normally didn't like this kind of macho bullshit, but his words sent her heart racing. She bit back a moan as he pressed his lips against her pulse point, and she felt her eyes slip closed. He seemed to know how to elicit a response, and she wondered if it was the connection between them that made even the smallest thing send an explosion of sensation through her body.

Elliot worked his way down her neck, hesitating only momentarily before continuing down the swell of her breasts. He felt Olivia arch her back into him and he teased her skin along the edge of her tank top with his tongue. He followed the silky edge of the material, placing small, open mouthed kisses on her skin as he reached for her the zipper of her sweatshirt. He could see the rise and fall of her chest as he pulled it down slowly, and his eyes wandered lazily over her breasts, appreciating the way the white material clung to her curves. He could see the pattern of lace beneath the cotton…and neither layer could mask her excitement. He let out a small moan as he reached up, pushing the material of her sweatshirt off her shoulders, baring her more fully. He saw the pink of her bra strap, and it made him realize how much he had compartmentalized her persona. She had always been a cop first…a woman second. Maybe even third…or fourth. It had been a matter of survival.

But here…she was a woman. An undeniably beautiful, sensual, desirable woman.

His gaze slid upwards and he saw her watching him. He saw vulnerability in those dark brown eyes, and the responsibility of this hit him squarely in the chest. He reached up and trailed a single finger down her cheek. "Olivia." He said her name softly. He saw a question on her face, and he leaned in, capturing her lips with his again.

His fingers danced lightly across her collarbone, teasing at the strap of her tank top and bra, but despite his desire to pull it down her shoulder, he moved on, gripping her upper arm. Olivia was trying to pull him towards her, shifting her body beneath him, but he stayed strong. He reluctantly broke the kiss, breathing heavily as he looked down at her. "I'm going to go."

"What?" Olivia was confused by the sudden change in direction. She pulled against his neck, trying to bring him back to her. "You should stay." She pleaded.

Elliot broke into a grin, trying to set her at ease. The last thing he wanted her to think was that he didn't want her or that he didn't want to be here. "I think you've had enough pre-birthday kisses." He said, leaning over and kissing her nose. "We have to save something for your actual birthday."

Olivia wasn't certain what to think, except that maybe he was just as scared as she was.

Elliot started to climb slowly off the couch, grasping her hand and pulling her up as he found his footing. They moved around the coffee table, and he was still holding her hand. She looked up at him, almost shyly. "Is that some kind of promise?" She pulled their joined hands and pressed them against her breasts.

"Hey…" Elliot said, trying not to focus on the way she was caressing his hand and the softness of her breasts. "Like I said…you're in charge."

_If I was in charge, you'd stay. _The words were on her lips_, _but she also remembered his other comment._ You may have started this, but I'm in control now. _She thought that maybe he was being the smart one here. Maybe slow was good.

Elliot didn't like that Olivia wasn't responding. "Hey."

Olivia hadn't realized she had looked away from him, and she looked back up, giving him a smile. "I want you to stay, but I understand why you're not." She needed to let him know that they were on the same page.

"Because I'm an idiot?" Elliot asked. He was thankful that she understood why he'd pulled away, but he still felt the need to keep things light.

Olivia arched her brow, laughing lightly. "Exactly."

Elliot pulled his hand from hers, before he was tempted to stay. "Night Liv." He leaned in, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. He headed towards the door and then turned back to look at her. Her lips were red, her hair was messed, and she looked so beautiful. He really was a fucking idiot, and he knew he wouldn't get any sleep tonight. "I'll be here to pick you up at 8:45."

"No clothes, right?" Olivia teased, unable to stop herself from tormenting him just a little bit. She could see the way he tensed slightly, and it made her smile. He nodded quickly and then ducked through the door.


	15. Chapter 15

Olivia curled up on the couch. She tried to focus on the movie that was playing out onscreen, but her mind and body were screaming for her attention. She was a mass of confusion.

She wanted to have sex with Elliot, and he obviously wanted the same thing. But they both knew that would be the easy part. It was all the questions about afterwards that made them indecisive. What would they be to each other afterwards? Were they messing up what they already had, or would it be the start of something new? Could they survive the change? She knew that Elliot was concerned about the same things she was.

She wished they could be the type of people that could just had a fling, got it out of their system, and move on with their lives. She'd done that with plenty of other men. It should be easy for her. But Elliot wasn't wired that way, and she knew she was deluding herself if she thought she could just move on. It would be impossible.

That's exactly why, 11 years later, they were still in this situation and faced with the same decision.

Olivia let out a frustrated sigh, thinking about how everything had played out the past few days. It had been fun to let themselves go a little…the lingering looks and the flirting and the teasing. The kiss had been impetuous, but it had led to more kissing…and whatever had happened tonight.

A part of her was angry with him for letting her be the one to make the decision. He needed to have some culpability here, and yet, she knew she shouldn't be surprised. He had done enough to let her know what he wanted, but he understood her fears. She knew it was the very reason he had left her tonight. He wanted her to think about what she wanted…not act on impulse. He didn't want her to have any regrets.

Olivia scrubbed her hands over her face, trying to make sense of her thoughts and her feelings, but she knew it was hopeless. All the arguments that had run through her head over the years were the same; nothing had changed.

Except…now they had.

Olivia sat up...the realization washing over her.

They'd taken those first steps…the ones that had always been so scary before. And the sexual chemistry was clearly there. The only part she didn't have figured out was what came next. But there was nothing standing in their way, and if things went well, surely the answers would come. They could figure it out together.

They had to, because _not_ doing anything didn't seem like an option anymore. Too much had already happened between them. She would never be able to forget what kissing Elliot felt like, or how it made her feel. She would never be able to forget the way Elliot looked at her…like he could see inside her very soul. He knew her…all of her. She was crazy to think there could ever be anyone else for her.

They had wasted so much time already…

Olivia pushed herself up from the couch and walked over into the bedroom area. She snagged her phone off the bedside table and looked at the time.

12:15AM.

_Happy Birthday to me_.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot heard his phone buzzing, and he groaned as he rolled over in bed. He saw it was a text from Olivia, and he toyed with his phone as he considered whether or not to open it. He'd already been laying here tossing and turning, with thoughts of Olivia and everything that had happened over the past few days making it impossible to sleep.

He worried that he had pushed her too far. This trip. The sexual innuendo. The lingering looks. The kisses.

He worried that he hadn't pushed her far enough. Leaving the decision about their future in her hands was risky, but he knew it was the only way to be sure it was what she wanted. He couldn't let himself fall completely if she couldn't commit to him.

His phone buzzed again, reminding him of the unopened message.

He realized he was afraid to open it.

What if she told him that he had pulled a bullshit move tonight…leaving like that? What if she told him that he had crossed a big fucking line? Had taken things too far? What if she told him that she was leaving tomorrow and going back to New York?

He ran his thumb across the screen, seeing her name on the screen.

He was being completely irrational now, but he knew that Olivia had probably spent the last few hours thinking through everything, and it was his own defenses kicking in, telling him to lower his expectations. She could crush him so easily.

_Stop being such a coward._

He opened up his messaging app and the message from Olivia.

_I can't sleep._

Elliot huffed. Yeah…he understood that. Before he could respond, he received another incoming message from her.

_I know you're awake._

Her comment made him smile. He typed a response. _Right as usual._

He didn't get a response for several minutes, and he wondered if she had dozed off. A couple more minutes passed, and he set his phone back on the table. The moment he set it down, it buzzed again. He chuckled, and picked it up, swiping open the messaging app again.

_Aren't you going to wish me a happy birthday?_

Shit. He glanced at his phone and saw that it was a little after 1AM. This entire week had been planned around her birthday, and now he'd forgotten. He had been so focused on everything he had planned for tomorrow that he hadn't realized that tomorrow was now. He sat up in bed and swung his legs over the side. He was even more awake now. _Happy Birthday!_ As he typed it, it sounded hollow. He hated that he was typing it only because she had reminded him. _I had a whole birthday thing planned for tomorrow morning. _He hit send. _I didn't realize what time it was._ He added, knowing he needed to just stop.

Oliviaresponded with a smiley face, and he didn't know what to do with that. Since when did Olivia use those things? It seemed too cutesy. Of course, they didn't type a lot of personal messages to each other, so maybe that was why he hadn't seen it before.

How in the hell was he supposed to respond to that?

Luckily, Olivia saved him by sending him another message. _Want to not sleep together?_

Elliot smiled at the double entendre, but he wasn't sure how to respond. He had only left her a couple of hours ago. It didn't feel like enough time had passed, and yet, if he kept laying here, he was going to go mad.

He felt his phone buzz again, and he realized he hadn't responded. Knowing Olivia, she had read a lot into his lack of response. He opened up the message. _Never mind._ Her message said.

Now he felt like a shit. _Have a little patience_. He typed back. _Be over in a few. Find something boring to watch_.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia tossed her phone on the bed, nerves crawling up her spine. She couldn't believe that she had typed that message to Elliot or that she had asked him back over.

She couldn't believe he had agreed.

Olivia paced back and forth across the room as she waited. She ran her hands through her hair, trying to organize her thoughts and quell her nerves.

A full five minutes had passed before she heard a soft knock on the door. The butterflies in her stomach erupted as made her way to the door. She opened it a crack, and saw Elliot standing on the other side. He was still wearing the same t-shirt, but he had pulled on some loose gray sweatpants…the kind with an elasticized waist…and his feet were bare.

"You gonna let me in?" Elliot asked. He glanced around the hallway. "Or maybe you were expecting someone else?"

"Aren't you the one always lecturing me about safety?"

Elliot couldn't argue. He pushed open the door and walked into the living room area as Olivia turned and walked farther back into the room. He saw that the room was dimly lit by the two lamps on either side of the couch and by the bed, and that the TV was on but muted. Her bed appeared to be made, and he wondered if she'd even tried sleeping, or if she had been sitting up this entire time.

Olivia was standing on the other side of the living room, and as he looked at her, he realized she was wearing one of the robes from the hotel. He assumed she was covering up her pajamas, and he was thankful. He didn't think he could handle seeing whatever it was Olivia wore to bed.

"Do you want something to drink?" She asked.

"You thinking one or two strong drinks might help us fall asleep?" He asked. He wanted to ask her what had been keeping her awake, but he knew the answer. He didn't want to go there. It would lead to another discussion he wasn't ready to have.

Olivia shrugged. "No. I was just thinking…maybe a birthday toast."

"That requires champagne." Elliot said. "And I don't have any of that on me." He winked at her. "Tomorrow." He shook his head. "I have all of these great surprises lined up for you for tomorrow, and now I feel bad. But in my defense, we weren't supposed to be celebrating at 2AM."

Olivia nodded, barely finding her voice. "Our schedule tomorrow…is it pretty flexible?" She took a few steps back into the living room, watching Elliot as he turned and headed towards the couch.

Elliot turned and shrugged. "Well…I suppose it could be." He pretty much had the entire day planned, and he couldn't imagine Olivia would want to change it when she didn't even know what was going to be happening. It was a little annoying. "But can I ask why?" He noticed that Olivia looked a little nervous, so he tried to moderate his attitude. It was her birthday after all. She could do whatever she wanted.

Olivia heard the annoyance in his voice, and she almost abandoned her plan, but she couldn't help feeling that it was now or never. "I know you didn't ask me what I wanted for my birthday…" She said, wrapping her hand around the knot at her waist. "But I thought that maybe you'd like to know."

Elliot shrugged. "Sure." There wasn't any reason they couldn't roll in something else into their day. "Whatever you want. It's your day." He waited a beat, but she wasn't speaking up. "So?" Another few seconds had passed, and then he watched as Olivia untied the sash to the robe she was wearing, and pushed it off her shoulders, letting it fall to the ground.

Elliot couldn't comprehend what was happening. His eyes roved over her body, taking in the pale pink bra, matching lace panties and lots of tanned, toned skin. When he reached her feet, he worked his way back up, finally capturing her eyes with his. "I…wha…" He let out a rush of air. He was actually rendered speechless. The woman standing in front of him was sex personified…every dream he'd ever had…an angel from heaven. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Olivia's heart was beating out of her chest as Elliot slowly perused her body. She certainly wasn't shy, but he wasn't saying anything, and it was causing her anxiety to ratchet up. Maybe this was too much; maybe when he had said she was in charge he hadn't really meant it. But there was no turning back now. "Say something." She said softly, starting to cross her arms across her chest.

"Don't." Elliot said, his voice a harsh whisper. He saw her shift slightly on her feet, but she lowered her arms again. He walked around the coffee table and moved closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers. He tried to think of the right thing to say, but he was having trouble putting together a coherent thought.

Olivia watched him intently as he approached, and she could feel herself trembling slightly, out of fear and anticipation. This was _Elliot_…she had just stripped down in front of _Elliot_. He was mere inches away now, and she was surprised that he kept his focus on her eyes.

He stopped, leaving space between them. He surprised her by reaching up and trailing his fingers lightly across her forehead, brushing her hair back from her face. His touch was soft…almost imperceptible against her skin. He leaned over and pressed his lips against her forehead, framing her face with his hands. He pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He whispered.

Olivia smiled, feeling a blush color her cheeks. She reached up and slid her arms around Elliot's neck and pulled him against her, grasping his lips with hers. She felt Elliot hesitate slightly, but then he slid his hands to her waist and deepened the kiss.

Elliot wanted to let his hands wander…to explore every inch of this amazing body…but he had to make sure she was doing this on her own terms. He pulled his mouth from hers, and he felt her arms loosen around his neck. There was a question on her face, and he hated that she had any doubt that he wanted her, but he had to hear her say it. "Tell me this what you really want." He whispered, brushing his fingers lightly across her collarbone.

"El…" She said, placing the palm of her hand against the center of his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly. "Take me to bed."

Those words were all that he needed to hear. He took a step back and scooped her into his arms, eliciting a small yelp of surprise from Olivia. In half a dozen steps, he was at the side of her bed, and he lay her down gently. Her hair was fanned out on the white pillow, and her skin looked even more golden against the white of the comforter. He couldn't help but let his eyes wander down her body again, and he moved down to the end of the bed, letting his eyes take her in completely.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare?" Olivia asked, stretching out her hand towards him.

Elliot's eyes flicked up to hers. "I've stared across my desk at you for years, trying so hard not to think about seeing you naked. And for the most part, I succeeded. But now…you're giving me this gift, so I'm taking it."

Olivia watched as Elliot peeled off his t-shirt and dropped it on the floor and now it was her turn to stare. He worked hard to keep himself in shape, and it definitely showed. He would put younger men to shame. She propped herself up on her elbows as let her eyes trail down his muscled torso. When she reached his pelvis, her eyes flicked up to his. "Lose the pants too."

Elliot raised both eyebrows and toyed with the waistband of his sweats. After a moment, he snapped the waistband against his skin. "Nah." He said with a shake of his head. He saw the look of surprise on Olivia's face at his denial, but it vanished as he climbed on the end of the bed. He kneeled between her legs, sliding his right hand up her shin.

Olivia watched Elliot, every nerve on fire as she anticipated his touch. He was toying with her…teasing her…and she knew then that he was going to take things excruciatingly slowly. It was the exact opposite of what she had always imagined a tryst between them would be, and yet, it seemed only right after having waited so long.

Elliot forced her legs farther apart to accommodate his body, and she broke out in goosebumps as his hand ran farther up and his thumb brushed along her inner thigh. He lingered there for a moment, but then moved up, sliding both hands over her hips, and toying with the lace at her hips. His hands flattened out then against her sides and he slid them upwards until his thumbs brushed the underside of her breasts.

Olivia let out a sound then, and arched her back slightly, aching for him to touch her. But he released her then, placing his hands on either side of her head as he caged her body with his. She hadn't realized that she had closed her eyes, and she opened them to see him staring at her. "El…" She said by way of protest, and he gave her a crooked grin. He leaned in and grasped her lips with his, turning his head sideways to deepen the kiss. At the same time, he pressed his groin purposefully against her, and a loud moan escaped her throat.

Elliot rocked against her again, wanting her to make that same sound, and she didn't disappoint. He was already hard…he had been from the moment she had dropped that robe…and it was going to be damned hard to take this slow. But there was only going to be one first time with her. He wanted to savor it.

He released her mouth then, kissing his way down her jaw and her neck. His kisses were slow and lazy, and he felt her arch up against him, seeking contact with his body.

"Goddamnit…" Olivia protested, aching to feel his hands on her breasts and between her legs. "Touch me."

Elliot's muscles clenched…both at her words and the pleading in her voice. This writhing, breathy Olivia was the stuff of dreams…and he hoped to God he wasn't going to wake up anytime soon.

Elliot kissed his way down her collarbone, and then she felt him slide her bra strap down her shoulder. He slid his tongue down the swell of her breast and she silently urged him on. He tugged her bra strap down hard, teasing the edge of lace with his tongue, until her breast was bare. He teased her swollen nipple with his tongue, before taking her in his mouth. She felt his groan against her skin, and Olivia felt another thrum deep in her belly. She didn't know how, but he had found the front clasp of her bra and released it, taking both of her breasts in his hands. He alternated, licking and teasing one while he gently kneaded the other. She felt him bite down lightly as he squeezed the other a little harder, and she felt a flood of liquid heat between her legs. A moan escaped her lips and she let arched her head backwards, reveling in the sensation. He continued his sweet torture while rocking himself between her legs, and throbbing, aching need consumed her.

Elliot felt Olivia grabbing at his shoulders, and he knew she was trying to draw him up to her. But he smiled against her skin, with absolutely no intention of giving in to her. He rocked into her one more time, earning one more sharp gasp, and then he moved down her body. Her muscles in her abdomen contracted as he traced his fingers downwards, followed by small, open mouthed kisses. She was trembling by the time he reached the lace of her panties, and he smoothed his hands over her hips. He was going to pull them down, but changed his mind, opening his mouth and covering her mound. Her hips lifted off the bed and he saw her fists grab the comforter at her side.

Olivia couldn't believe that Elliot's head was between her legs right now. She had always thought that if they ever found themselves in bed together, he'd be somewhat rough and demanding. She had never imagined this slow perusal of her body…this slow burn. He was going to drag this out and make her come, until she was a trembling mass. The thought left her breathless. "Elliot." His name came out in a rush, and she wasn't even sure what she was asking him for.

Elliot heard his name, but it sounded more like a moan, and he smiled at himself. He pushed her legs apart with his hands, and held her open to him, placing kisses on her inner thigh. He could feel her heat…smell her sex…and he thought he might burst with need. _Sweet Jesus_.

Olivia could feel Elliot's tongue against the lace, but it was almost useless now. She was so wet, and the barrier was useless. She felt his fingers, rough against her sensitive core, pulling the panties aside. She nearly fell off the bed when he slid his tongue through her folds, teasing her entrance with the tip. She was fisting the sheets hard now, almost embarrassed by her need for more. But the man had a skill. She said a prayer of thanks as he ripped her panties from her body but lost all coherent thought as he used his tongue and his teeth against her. Waves of pleasure were coursing through her and she tried to move, but he was holding her open to him with his hands. She let go off the sheets and dug her fingers into his head, but he didn't relent. It was only moments until her body tightened and her orgasm overtook her.

Elliot felt her entire body trembling, but he didn't offer any relief until he she gasped out his name. He kissed her inner thigh and worked his way up her hip and her ribs and her breasts, and finally burying his face in her neck as she tried to regulate her breathing. He brushed his hardened length against her core, and she jumped at the contact. He lifted his body from hers, giving her a few minutes to recover, and then he felt her rake her fingernails down his back.

"I want you."

Olivia's voice was deep and throaty…words he had only heard in his dreams.

He really wanted to explore her body some more…make her come again…but he didn't think he could wait. He could feel her hands on his hips, and she was trying to push his pants down his hips.

"Take them off." Olivia could hear the desperation in her voice, but she wanted to feel him inside of her. She'd had to wait too damned long. To her delight, Elliot pushed himself up on his knees, still poised between her legs. He pushed the sweats down, along with his underwear, and his erection was freed. Her entire body clenched when she saw him…there was a reason for the swagger. She tried to life herself up and reach for him, but he lightly slapped her hand away. "El…" She complained. The man had explored her body…she wanted the same opportunity.

"I can't handle that right now…" he said gruffly. He started to climb off the bed to take his sweats off completely, but Olivia took advantage of his distraction, and knocked him over on to the bed. She slid her leg across his thighs, straddling him. He started to protest, but the sight of her made his entire body throb. The muscles of her thighs were tight…her breasts were beautiful…and as she slid along the length of him, he let out a long, low groan. His hands went to her hips, stilling her against him, and she moaned as he throbbed against her sensitive core. He moaned out her name, loosening his hold on her hips as she lifted herself slightly. She moved her hips slightly to line herself up with his erection, and they both let out a moan as she settled herself on his shaft. He penetrated her slightly, and she pushed her hips down, biting back at the mix of pain and pleasure as she pushed past her body's resistance.

Elliot felt her lift her hips up again, and he held his breath as she pushed her hips down again, taking him in fully. She was so goddamned tight, and her walls grasped at him, threatening to make him come with just that one movement. He held her in place for a moment, and he bit back another groan as Olivia shifted slightly on her knees. When he had regained control, he let out his breath, and she seemed to understand. She lifted her hips and slid down the length of him again, and the room was filled with the sounds of their bodies connecting, over and over again. He was in so deep and she felt so fucking good, and it took all of his concentration to keep himself form coming He knew it wasn't going to be long…not with the way he was stretching her. He reached between her legs and the slickness there and found her swollen clit. He used his thumb against her, earning a small cry every time their hips connected. Neither one of them could say a word, but they didn't need to. He could tell she was close by her labored breathing, and he looked at the site before him. She was bathed in a light sheen of sweat, glistening against her golden skin…her breasts were bouncing lightly…and her eyes were closed. With each combined gasp, they moved closer…until he felt her walls clench at him…her entire body trembling as she cried out. He lost all semblance of control with her orgasm, and thrust his hips up once more time, coming hard inside of her. He was digging his fingers into her hips and realized he was saying her name over and over again until she collapsed against him.

Olivia couldn't hold herself up any longer. She fell against him, breathing hard, as her body clenched around him. She could feel him throbbing inside of her; and she shuddered. She felt Elliot wrap his arms around her, and he was kissing the top of her head as he held her tightly against him. They lay like that for several minutes, as they each came down from their high. When her breathing had slowed, Olivia lifted herself up slowly, gasping as their intimate connection knocked her clit. Her thigh muscles were screaming at her and she was still kneeling on either side of Elliot's body, and she hated to break the coupling, but she had no choice. "Elliot." She said roughly. "I have to move."

"Hmmm." It took a moment for her words to break through his lustful haze, but then he felt like an ass. "Yeah." He shifted to try to help, but he just got a gasp from her. She placed her hands on his shoulders, holding him in place.

Olivia lifted herself slowly, feeling a sense of loss as their bodies broke apart, but immediate relief as she fell backwards on the bed next to Elliot. "Ah…" She breathed out, feeling incredibly relaxed and amazingly sated, and she looked over at Elliot lazily. She saw he was watching her, and he propped himself up on one elbow.

Elliot placed the palm of his hand on her stomach, feeling her jump despite his light touch. There was a part of him that couldn't believe he had just had sex with Olivia…that he was allowed to touch her like this. "This is…" He shook his head, unable to come up with the words to explain what he was feeling right now.

Olivia smiled and reached up, caressing his cheek with her palm. "I know." She said.

"Happy Birthday Olivia."


	16. Chapter 16

Olivia woke up to a knock on the door and an empty bed. Her sleep-addled brain couldn't comprehend what was happening until she heard Elliot's voice speaking in hushed tones. The smell of coffee and bacon wafted into the room moments later, and she opened her eyes fully. She saw Elliot wheeling a cart laden with covered dishes closer to the bed, and he had a huge grin on his face.

"Good morning. And Happy Birthday."

Olivia moved to sit up, pulling the sheet up hastily when she realized she was naked. She winced slightly at the soreness between her legs, and memories of the night flooded her conscious. They had made love twice more before falling into an exhausted sleep, and she felt a blush on her cheeks as all the small details came to mind. It was safe to say that neither one of them needed to imagine any intimate detail of the other at this point. The last time had been more like she had expected their first time to be…a little rougher and demanding of each other…which was what was probably the reason she was sore. She wasn't used to this kind of sex life…and Elliot was…

"You're blushing." Elliot said, seeing the color in her cheeks. "Anything in particular on your mind?" He poured a cup of coffee and skirted the bed, delivering it to her as he sat down in the small space between her legs and the edge of the bed.

Olivia took the cup from him and quickly cast her eyes downward, pretending to be absorbed in the dark liquid heat.

"C'mon." Elliot said, reaching out with his fingers and lifting her chin up so she was forced to look at him. "At this point…I would hope that you would feel like you could tell me anything." He'd touch about every part of her body with his tongue, his fingers…some part of his anatomy. How could she possibly be embarrassed by anything? Or maybe that was what was causing the color in her cheeks.

Elliot dropped his hand but leaned in and placed a kiss on her temple. "Last night was amazing."

Olivia nodded, holding his gaze. "It was…"

"But?" Elliot could hear it in her voice.

Olivia swallowed hard and then just shook her head slightly.

"For God's sake, please just say what's on your mind." He hoped to God it wasn't some bullshit about slowing things down or that she was regretting it. He was going to lose it if she said any of that.

"I just feel like…well…" She pointed to where her robe still lay on the carpet. "I kind of…I just basically stripped in front of you and I didn't really give you a chance to say no."

Elliot laughed. "You think you're so irresistible that I couldn't have said no if I wanted to?"

Olivia cocked her head slightly. "I don't know a lot of men that would say no to a nearly naked woman that was throwing herself at them."

"Well, first of all…" Elliot said, sliding one hand down her bare arm. "You are damn near irresistible, so that was somewhat of a rhetorical question. And second, I agree. If any man turned down an offer like that from you, I would rush him over to Bellevue. But third, and most important, I'm not like most men and you didn't throw yourself at me. I've wanted you for so long it makes my head hurt, so seeing you standing there…" He shook his head. "I told you it was a gift and I meant it." He took her coffee cup from her hand and leaned in again, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. He pulled back with a smile. "And that's not even fair because it's not _my_ birthday."

Olivia breathed out a sigh of relief. She didn't know why the self-doubt nagged at her with regards to Elliot. Maybe it was just that they'd been playing this game of keeping each other at arm's length for so long, it had felt like she was really crossing a big line by inviting him over and letting him know she was his for the taking. There was also something in the back of her brain that said that all of the Catholic preaching he'd been exposed meant he had a strong (although maybe flawed) vision of what was moral behavior and what was not…and she didn't want to be labeled in his mind. Of course, that was all on her. He didn't seem to mind at all.

She brought her attention back to him. "I was there." She said. "And it certainly felt like I was on the receiving end for the most part." She smiled. "A _very_ happy birthday to me." She took her coffee cup back from Elliot and take a sip.

Elliot looked at her for a moment, unable to take his eyes off her. He couldn't believe he was sitting here with Olivia while she was naked, in bed, and they were actually talking about the night before. He wanted to push her down on the bed and while away the morning making love to her, but he knew that wasn't in the cards. He had seen her wince when she'd sat up, and he knew she needed a break. He reached up and brushed her hair away from her face. "You feeling okay?" He asked.

"I think I already told you that I'm more than fine." She said with a sly smile.

"Yeah, but…well…I wasn't exactly gentle with you and I saw you make a face when you sat up so…" His voice trailed off.

"Well, if memory serves, I wasn't really gentle with you either." Olivia said, recalling the noise he made as she scraped her fingernails down his back and as she bit his skin.

"True. But I'll be fine. You should have said…"

Olivia lifted a hand to his shoulder and slid it down his arm. "I'm not complaining." She said. "Did I seem like I wasn't enjoying myself?" She asked, raising one eyebrow. "No." She said, answering for him. "I'm good." She rolled her head backwards, stretching slightly. "Nothing that a good breakfast, a hot shower and a massage won't cure." What she actually wanted to do was go back to sleep. Altogether, she couldn't have slept for more than three hours. But she planned to nod off during her massage.

He had practically forgotten about the breakfast altogether. "Your wish is my command."

"I like the sound of that."

EOEOEOEO

Olivia stepped out of the shower, feeling more refreshed and relaxed than she had in ages. She supposed a vacation, a night of great sex and an hour-long massage had a little something to do with it. The chronic fatigue and stress weren't at evident in her features and she couldn't keep from smiling. Too bad this couldn't be her life all of the time.

If she was honest…she didn't need to be on vacation or be at the spa…she just needed regular sex with Elliot. She bit her bottom lip. Thinking about the previous night still sent a shiver through her body. She honestly hadn't known what to expect…if they ever got to this point. The man had been married to the same woman for almost his entire adult life, so he couldn't have had a wide variety of sexual experiences. Unless he had dated while he was separated, and she didn't know about it. It didn't seem likely, or at the very least, she hoped he hadn't. Regardless, whatever the situation, he hadn't disappointed. He knew how to play her body with perfection.

Maybe it was just the pent-up sexual frustration that had made it so spectacular.

Or maybe it was that the man was ridiculously endowed. God…he had felt sooo good.

Olivia heard her phone buzz, and she realized she had her eyes closed and was lost in a daydream. She opened the message, asking if she was back from the spa. She forgot that she had told him she would message him the minute she got back, and now she felt badly. She responded, and a few seconds after she hit send, her phone rang.

"Hey." She said, hearing the giddiness in her own voice.

"Hey." Elliot responded. He had been waiting for her text, trying to sleep while she was at the spa and failing miserably. He couldn't wait to be with her again. "Ready for the next part of your day?"

"I just got out of the shower but yes. Tell me what we're doing or where we're going or what I should wear."

Elliot didn't speak for a second, because hearing that she had just gotten out of the shower sent his body into a tailspin. The only thing he could think about was her standing in the middle of the room and sliding her robe off her shoulders. He swallowed hard, trying to focus on what she was saying. "Yeah."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Yeah…sorry." He gathered his thoughts. "I would wear a sundress or shorts or something casual and comfortable. But pack a bag for the beach too."

"We're going somewhere?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"I'll be over in twenty minutes."

"I need longer…" But Elliot had already hung up.

Olivia dried her hair, and put on make-up, and then packed a bag with her swimsuit, cover-up and sunscreen. She looked at her clothing options; she really wished she knew what they were doing. She finally settled on a sleeveless, coral colored sundress. It was lightweight but comfortable; cinched at the waist with a belt and a slit on either side; ending just above her knees. She was about to grab her shoes and sunglasses when there was a knock on the door.

Olivia tried to keep the smile off her face as she answered the door, and she only opened it a crack, toying with Elliot. "Yes?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Good morning." He said. "You going to let me in?"

"Hmmm." Olivia pretended to consider his request, but she couldn't keep up the pretense, and she backed away, giving him access.

Elliot scanned her figure quickly. "You look great." He said. She really did look amazing. Happy and relaxed. "That's a great color on you."

"Flattery will get you everywhere." Olivia said, giving him a small smile.

"So…" He moved a little closer, reaching for her. He placed his hand gently on her left hip and gave her his most charming grin. "Do I get to kiss you whenever I want now?"

"_Whenever _you want?" Olivia cocked her head again. "I don't know about that…" She teased. Elliot gave her his best disappointed expression and she smiled. "But you can kiss me now."

Elliot didn't have to be told twice. He captured her lips with his, kissing her deeply. Olivia wasted no time in slipping her arms around his neck, pulling him against her, and he felt her hum in appreciation. Their kisses became more heated, and he felt Olivia's fingers dig into the back of his neck. He reached down and pushed her hip back against the wall, separating their lower halves. Olivia tried to pull him back to her, but he broke the kiss. "If we keep this up, we're never leaving this room." He whispered against her cheek.

"And that would be a bad thing?" Olivia asked, using her most sultry tone.

Elliot chuckled. The woman was pure sin. He loved it. "I didn't say that." He pulled back slightly and looked her in the eye. "But I have plans for today…and we always have tonight." He slid his hand into hers. "Besides…I need some time to recover." He really wanted to give her time, since she had seemed a little sore just that morning. "I'm going to have to start taking vitamins…"

Olivia slapped his arm playfully. "Funny."

"Just saying…" He backed up and tugged her arm, pulling her away from the wall. He looked at her smudged lip gloss and licked his lips, tasting the unfamiliar flavor on his lips. "You ready to go?"

Olivia nodded. "Just need to grab my shoes and my sunglasses." Olivia hustled into the bedroom area and grabbed her things, and they headed out the door.

They walked out the main entrance of the hotel, and Olivia saw a sleek black convertible sitting there. Elliot started walked towards it, and he looked back at her. "What d'ya think?"

"This is for us?"

"Yep. We're going to go down to South Beach…hang out with the beautiful people…have some lunch. Maybe hit the beach if we want to."

Olivia wasn't quite sure of the reason to leave the beautiful resort they were staying at, but she'd heard plenty about South Beach, and knew it would be fun to check it out. It wasn't likely that she was going to be back in this area anytime soon.

Elliot held the door open for her, and a smart comment was on the tip of her tongue. But she bit it back, realizing the shift in their relationship meant different roles for them. He wasn't just her partner anymore and she knew the traditionalist in him meant he probably liked to be somewhat chivalrous. She would let him have it for now.

The ride down to South Beach was more enjoyable than she imagined. The wind was blowing her hair and the sun was shining down on her, and cold, snowy New York City seemed millions of miles away. She kept stealing glances over at Elliot, and he wore a huge grin on his face. She didn't know if it was the sunshine or the high-powered sports car or just the escape, but she understood the feeling.

Elliot glanced over at Olivia. She looked amazing with her sunglasses, her smile and her wind-blown hair. Her dress had ridden up, baring half of her thigh, and he couldn't resist sliding his hand over her bare skin. He rested his hand there, sliding his fingers lightly against the inside of her thigh, just back from her knee. He waited for her to object, but she didn't say a thing as focused his attention back on the road. He kept caressing her skin, and then his heart clutched as she moved her leg towards him slightly, seemingly giving him better access. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was all in his own mind, but he felt her shift slightly, settling her knee against the gear shift.

He glanced over at her quickly, but she was staring out at the freeway in front of them. He swallowed hard, trying to control his body's reaction to her action. He tentatively slid his hand farther up her thigh, pushing the hem of her dress up with it. He let his fingers linger there, barely brushing her skin, and he saw her lay her head back against the headrest.

God…_was this really happening?_ Was Olivia going to let him slide his fingers between her legs while they were driving 80 mph down the freeway? This was insane, but so fucking hot., but

It hit him squarely then…how little he really knew about this side of Olivia. Rather then being alarming, it was kind of exhilarating, and he slid his hand a little higher. A part of him couldn't believe she wasn't pushing his hand away, but she didn't say a word as he felt the seam of her panties. He could feel her heat, and he swallowed hard as she shifted her hips forward on the seat, giving him more access.

Elliot was having a hard time focusing on the road in front of him, and he slowed down a little, putting more space between he and the car in front of him. It earned him a honk from the car behind him and he looked up in his rear-view mirror. He suddenly remembered that they were in a convertible…open for all to see. He glanced over at the car next to him and saw the man driving flash him a smile. He pulled his hand back quickly, glancing over at Olivia. He tugged at her skirt, not appreciating the view the man in the SVU was getting, but he didn't have any luck. Olivia didn't seem alarmed. In fact, she was laughing. She shifted her body back on her seat and readjusted her skirt, still laughing.

Elliot put his other hand back on the wheel, shifting uncomfortably on his own seat. He saw Olivia lean towards him, and now she was sliding her hand onto his thigh. "Maybe the convertible wasn't such a good idea." She said, subtly running her finger along his length. He gritted his teeth, grasping her hand with his and moving it back to her thigh.

He glanced over at her and saw the satisfied smile on her face.

_Pure sin._


	17. Chapter 17

They had wandered down Ocean drive, walking through the outdoor tables nestled on the sidewalk between the road and the main restaurants, looking at menus, and trying to decide what to eat. There were beautiful cars lining the street, the park across the road, and the beach and ocean past that. They settled at Lario's for some seafood…something they didn't eat often in New York City…and the maître d held Olivia's chair as they settled at a table for four on the patio, elevating them slightly and giving them a great view.

They were late for lunch and early for dinner, so they had the majority of the place to themselves. Moments later, they each had a cold beer in their hands and were perusing the menu.

"I'm not that hungry." Olivia said. "I feel like we just ate breakfast."

"We can share something." Elliot said. "Or just sit awhile and enjoy the view."

Olivia glanced out towards the greenway, feeling the cool breeze from the ocean.

"I know _I_ am." Elliot said, staring at Olivia. She looked amazing as she sat across from him. It was just a simple, scooped neck tank dress, but the coral color looked amazing against her tanned skin and it fit her to perfection.

Olivia turned back to look at him, smirking slightly as saw him staring at her. She was never going to get used to those kinds of comments from him, but he looked so happy and content, she let it pass.

Elliot reached across the table, laying his hand on the table. He waited a second before Olivia got the hint, and she lay her hand in his. "I'm sitting here looking at you and I'm thinking…" He shook his head. "We've wasted so much time…"

"Let's not do this…" Olivia said as she pulled her hand from his.

"Do what?" Elliot asked.

"Do that thing where we talk about how things could have been different or why we waited so long." She shook her head. "I don't want to know if I had anything to do with your divorce or if you slept with anyone else while you were separated." She already harbored enough presumed guilt and curiosity on those two fronts; hearing it wouldn't help. "And I don't want to talk about my sexual history or why I never found the right man to settle down with."

Elliot was surprised by her candor. "But…"

"It doesn't serve any purpose." Olivia said. "It's just going to dredge up feelings of resentment or guilt or jealousy." She could see that Elliot was skeptically. She leaned forward slightly. "What if I told you that I knew there was something between us that first year? And you tell me it was last year for you…"

"It wasn't last year." Elliot said.

Olivia sighed in exasperation. "The point is…" She sat back, thinking about how she could make him understand why she felt the way she did. "It doesn't really matter. It won't change anything."

Elliot understood her point but wasn't in total agreement. "I get your point, but I don't think it's good to keep things from each other. We've done enough of that."

Olivia reached out and grasped his hand again. "I'm not lying to you or keeping any major secrets from you. I'm just saying that there is nothing I could tell you or that you could say to me that's going to help us move forward." She squeezed his hand, wanting to tell him that she was afraid it would do the exact opposite. "I just want to enjoy this time together and leave all that baggage behind us." She pleaded with him.

"Okay, okay. I get it." He acquiesced, letting out a sigh. He gave her a smile but couldn't resist one barb. "I just have one question though. Why Cassidy?"

Olivia pressed her lips together and gave him a look of disapproval. She knew he was teasing her though and she smiled, giving it back to him. "Because he was the second-best looking detective in the precinct…and I couldn't have the first." She slipped out of her seat to head to the bathroom, leaving him to ponder that comment.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia used the bathroom, and while she washed her hands, she heard a knock on the door. She rolled her eyes at the fact that the restaurant only had two individual bathrooms and at people's impatience. She hadn't been in the room for long. She dried her hands, checked her reflection quickly in the mirror and then turned and opened the door.

"Wha…" Her question was cut off as Elliot gave her a cheeky grin and pushed her backwards lightly, closing and locking the door behind him after he was in the room. He pressed his hands against her hips, forcing her up against the counter. "What are you doing?" She asked, biting back a smile.

"I missed you." Elliot teased. He reached up with one hand and tangled his fingers in her hair. "Actually…I've been sitting across from you for hours now, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about kissing you." He pressed his lips against hers, not giving her any time to respond yes or no, but she didn't care. She had been having similar thoughts. She kissed him back with the same intensity.

Elliot felt Olivia slip her hands beneath his arms and snake them around to his back, trying to pull him closer. He slid his right hand down to her thigh and pulled at the material of her dress, tugging it upwards until his fingers met skin. Olivia made a noise, and he wasn't sure if it was surprise or if she was urging him on, but he took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside of hers. He slipped his hand beneath the material and slid it up until he hit satin at her hip. He tugged at and he felt Olivia wrench her mouth from his.

"What are you doing?" She asked breathlessly.

Elliot didn't respond. He succeeded in getting her panties down to her knees. Then, he pulled her away from the counter, and before she could say a word, he was hoisting her up until she was sitting on the countertop.

"Ow." Olivia said, throwing out her hands to balance herself as half of her ass landed on the edge of the sink and she almost fell backwards. Elliot ran his hands up her thighs, pushing her dress up as he pushed her knees apart with his body. "Elliot…" Olivia gasped out his name as she reached for his shoulders, trying to push him back. "We can't…" Her words turned into a small moan as he pressed his lips into her neck, and she felt her underwear slide down her shin and hook on her right foot.

"Can't what?" Elliot said against her skin, grazing his lips along her neck until he heard another low moan and she dropped her head back. He settled his lips there, kissing her pulse point as the pace of her breathing increased.

Olivia's mind was telling her that they shouldn't be doing this here. It was a public bathroom for God's sake. It was probably dirty. Someone could be waiting. But her body was betraying her…more so with every kiss. Then she felt Elliot slip his hand down her inner thigh and she knew her mind had lost. As crazy as it was, she wanted this. She whispered his name again, reaching down between them to try to reach his belt. Her dress was pooled at her hips, and before she could navigate through the bunch of material, Elliot pushed her legs slightly farther apart, and rocked into her, causing a wave of pleasure to ripple through her.

She needed Elliot's pants off now. Elliot's urgency…the location…the danger of being caught…the pure act of breaking all conventions of what was considered acceptable behavior…all of it conspired to heighten her desire. She was more than ready for him.

"I thought we couldn't do this." Elliot said, reaching for his belt as Olivia fumbled. He grasped her mouth with his as he slid his hand between them, and he groaned heavily as he came in contact with her wet center.

"Hello?"

They both froze as they heard a knock at the door.

Elliot looked at Olivia, and neither one of them said a thing. He knew they were both silently wishing that whomever was outside the door would just quietly go away.

"Is everything okay in there?"

No such luck.

"Yeah." Elliot said quickly. "I'm not feeling well." He called out. Olivia started to pull herself back, but he pressed down on her thighs, holding her in place. He looked at her and shook his head. There was no way they were leaving without seeing this through. He'd never make it through the afternoon. "Can you give me a few minutes?"

The person standing outside the door hesitated a moment and then murmured some agreement. Neither one of them was sure if she was still standing outside the door, so Elliot put finger to his lips, indicating to Olivia that she should be quiet. She started to shake her head and made another move to get down, but Elliot narrowed his eyes and shook his head again. He unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants, pushing them down to his knees.

"El…" Olivia couldn't do this when someone was potentially standing right outside the doorway. But before she could even finish whispering his name, he clamped one hand over her mouth. Then he slid his hand between her legs, guiding himself until he was teasing her entrance. His hand muffled the gasp that escaped from the back of her throat as he slid inside of her.

Olivia braced herself on the counter as Elliot started fucking into her, trying to bite back her gasps as he filled her. Her mind was trying to comprehend that this was happening, and she hated to admit what a turn on this was. This wasn't something she did…give in to reckless behavior like this. It heightened every sense in her body, and she knew she was going to come hard. She reached up with her right hand, digging her fingers into Elliot's shoulder, as she braced herself against the counter with the other. Sitting on this counter, she really didn't have much leverage, and Elliot was doing all the work. She could tell he was close as well, and then he leaned in, brushing his lips against hers.

"Fuck Liv…" He rasped out. "Fuck."

Elliot came then, unable to hold back the sound that retched from his throat. He held himself there, pulsing inside of her and he could hear her making small sounds as he buried his face into the crux of her neck. "C'mon baby…c'mon." He pulled back slightly and reached between her legs, finding her clit as he drove himself back inside of her. He felt her body tense and he covered her mouth with his as her orgasm ripped through her body. He held them there for a moment, letting her ride it out, and then released her mouth as she tried to recover.

They stayed there for a few minutes, and then both seemed to remember where they were. Elliot pulled out of her and took a few steps back, keeping one hand on her until he was sure she was steady. He saw her nod, and then he helped her jump down quietly from the small counter. Olivia walked awkwardly over to the toilet, and he turned to give her some privacy while he used some paper towels to clean himself up and put himself back together.

He wet some paper towels and handed them to Olivia without looking at her, and she whispered a thank you. He snagged her underwear off the floor and he bit back a smile as he handed those over as well.

Olivia was just pulling her underwear up her legs when they both heard another knock on the door.

"Sir? This is the manager. I heard that you're not feeling well. Do you require medical attention?"

Olivia bit back a laugh as she smoothed her dress down, but then she looked at Elliot with a look of concern on her face. How were they going to get out of here?

Elliot grabbed her hand in his. "No. I'm feeling better now." He yelled back to the manager. He glanced back at Olivia, gave her a mischievous smile and pulled her towards the door. He pulled it open quickly and without a word to the man standing outside, he tugged Olivia behind him. Olivia registered the confusion on the man's face as they passed by, but she couldn't help but laugh as they both rushed out of the restaurant.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot lay stretched out alongside Olivia in the park, not far from the beach, but far enough to be covered by the shade of some trees. He was happy he had thought to toss a blanket in the trunk; but he was pretty certain the hotel wouldn't be too happy about it.

He heard Olivia let out a long sigh.

"That was…" Olivia pressed her lips together, feeling herself color at the memory of what had just happened. "I don't do things like that." She said, looking back at Elliot. "I don't even like to _kiss_ anyone in public."

"You've never had sex in a public place?" Elliot asked, finding it hard to believe.

"Well, maybe when I was younger." She said. "But certainly not since I've become a cop." She raised one eyebrow. "What if we had gotten caught?"

He noticed she had glossed over the confession she'd made. There were probably some good stories there. He had never considered that Olivia may have had a wild side in her youth. Elliot shrugged. "We didn't."

"But what if we would have?"

"I would have flashed my badge and told them that you seduced me." He said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"You're incorrigible." Olivia said with a laugh.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Elliot said.

"Of course, you would." She gave him another smile and then turned her face back towards the trees. She closed her eyes. She couldn't keep the smile off her face. She felt more relaxed than she could ever remember.

"You know…" She started. "I've never really been on a vacation. I mean, I've taken days off from work. But I take it off for a reason. Or I run errands or just…do nothing." She opened her eyes lazily. "But nothing like this. This is relaxation and escape on a whole other level." She tilted her head slightly to get a better look at him. "I don't know how people ever go back."

"We don't have to." Elliot said, propping his head on his bent arm and settling in closer.

Olivia laughed lightly. "Wouldn't that be nice?"

Now it was Elliot's turn to sigh. "Yeah." He reached out and trailed his fingers along her collarbone, keeping his gaze focused on the motion, trying to decide if he wanted to share his thoughts. This was all new to him…to them…but he found that he wanted to tell her everything. "Early this morning, I woke up and for a moment, I panicked because you weren't laying next to me. I thought maybe I had dreamt the whole thing. But then I rolled over and I saw you laying there…" He remembered the moment with perfect clarity. Her back had been to him. The morning light had been barely seeping through the blinds, and he could see her bare back…the white sheet tangled around her hips. He had wanted to reach out, run his fingers down her spine…kiss her soft skin…but he had only been able to stare. "In that moment, I realized that…" He ran his hand down her arm and his eyes connected with hers. "I wanted that to be my life. I want to wake up in the morning, next to you." He slid his hand down to hers.

"And that can't happen back in New York." Olivia said.

Elliot heard her and narrowed his eyes slightly. It hadn't been a question. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe we can only have this here." Olivia didn't want to push Elliot into anything he wasn't ready for, and she honestly didn't know where his head was at right now. He hadn't made any mention of love…nothing even close…and while she wasn't sure she was ready to hear it…she had kind of expected him to try to tell her how he was feeling. Especially after the night they'd spent together. Even though she didn't know how she'd survive it, she needed him to know it was okay.

"Is that what you want?" Elliot pulled back slightly, furrowing his brows. He was trying to keep his emotions in check. They'd had such a wonderful day…they were having such a wonderful day. It was her _birthday_. Surely, he couldn't be hearing her correctly.

"I'm just saying…" Olivia reached up and ran her fingers down his cheek. "I want you to know that you don't owe me anything." She could see that she had upset Elliot, and it was the very last thing she wanted to do. "You know what? Just forget I said anything. This isn't the time or place."

"But…" Elliot started. He wanted to tell her that he owed her everything…that she was the only thing that kept him going each day. But he could tell she regretted her words, and he knew now wasn't the time. "OK." He acquiesced. He lifted her hand to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "But I'm only letting you off the hook because it's your birthday." He leaned over and kissed her lips. He pulled back and looked her in the eyes. "We will talk about this…but later." He moved a little closer, propping his head on his crooked arm once again. "And just so you know…what happens in Florida doesn't have to stay in Florida."


	18. Chapter 18

AN: I appreciate the love for this story, and the urgent pleas to update. If you know me or have read any of my stories, you know I deplore long waits between updates. But sometimes, life has other plans. Just know that I will never abandon a story. Here's the next chapter…and I plan to update again this weekend!

EOEOEOEO

Olivia smiled and ducked her head, almost shyly, as the chef placed a beautifully crafted dessert in front of her and the kitchen staff sang _Happy Birthday_. It was perfectly decadent, layers of chocolate and cream, topped with gold designs, and her mouth watered just looking at it. The entire night had been like this…a perk of sitting at the chef's table in this high-end restaurant…one delicious bite after another sliding across her palette.

The song ended and the chef proceeded to tell her exactly what the dessert consisted of, and then wished her a happy birthday with a flourish and a kiss to the cheek. Olivia laughed, thrilled by the entire experience. She reached across the table and wrapped her hand over Elliot's. "This has been the most fantastic experience." She said, giving his hand a squeeze.

"I'm happy to hear you say that." Elliot had gone through several options, including a dinner on the beach or in her suite, but those had seemed a bit too intimate at the time. He'd had no way of knowing what this week would bring. There were lots of options for fancy restaurants, but he'd called the concierge and they had suggested this…and it turned out to be perfect. The small table was nestled in the corner of the kitchen…intimate but not completely private…and the kitchen staff and chef had prepared several courses exclusively for them. The chef was French, and he was enamored with Olivia, sitting at the table and regaling them with stories of the cities he had lived in and the restaurants he had started. It ended up as the perfect evening, and he made a mental note to give the concierge a thank you and an extra tip.

He smiled at Olivia. "Happy Birthday."

Olivia picked up her fork and dangled it in her hand. "I suppose you think that just because you arranged all of this…that you're going to get a bite." She teased. She took a small forkful of the dessert and brought it up to her mouth, opening it slightly as she looked up at him through her lashes. "You want a bite?" She gave him a small smile.

Elliot leaned in slightly, eyeing her mouth. "How about you eat the dessert…" His eyes met hers. "And I'll get a taste with a kiss." He grinned.

Olivia took the bite, closing her eyes momentarily at the extraordinary taste. Then she lifted her mouth and captured Elliot's lips with hers, giving him a soft kiss before pulling away. "Deal." She took another forkful and lifted the fork to Elliot's lips, and he obliged, kissing her back when he had swallowed the sweet.

"Ahem."

Olivia sat back and Elliot did the same, and she felt a blush color her cheeks. She had momentarily forgotten where they were…something she didn't typically do.

"I hope you had a wonderful dinner mademoiselle." The chef was saying. He handed Olivia a small box. "Inside…there are chocolates. Just for you. From the best chocolatier in all of France." Olivia couldn't help but smile at his thick French accent. He picked up hand and lifted it to his lips, placing a kiss there. "It had been my pleasure to prepare dinner for you, and to help you celebrate your birthday." He looked over at Elliot and shook his hand. "Much love and happiness to you both." He gave them a curt nod and then walked back into the heart of the kitchen, yelling out to his chefs as the bustle continued.

"Well…" Elliot said. "You've obviously enchanted the chef…" He saw Olivia smile. He took her hand in his, tangling his fingers between hers. "But he'd going to have to get in line." He winked at her, lowering their joined hands to the table.

"This was such a wonderful day." Olivia said with a sigh. "You've thought of everything." She sighed. "I can't remember ever having a birthday like this one."

Her comment made Elliot happy. It was exactly what he wanted to hear. He had wanted the day to be remarkable…he wanted her to feel special.

"When I think about everything that's happened…" Olivia found she couldn't keep the smile off her face. It blew her mind. The entire time they'd been on this trip had been in stark contrast to anything she did…or didn't do…in New York. She had told herself to let loose a little, but even _she_ had surprised herself over the past few days.

Elliot gave her a small nod. "It's been pretty amazing." He agreed. "Some parts more than others." He said, winking at her. "And the day isn't over yet."

Olivia arched an eyebrow, wondering if he was alluding to anything in particular, or just hopefully for an invitation back to her room. "It's getting pretty late…" She teased, looking at her imaginary watch. She saw humor in Elliot's eyes, but he didn't anything. "Do you have something else planned?"

Elliot shrugged. "The rest of the night is up to you." He hadn't planned anything for after dinner because he hadn't really known how exhausted they'd be after their busy day. But they'd gotten back from South Beach in time to catch a nap before dinner, so he was ready to go. He didn't want to be presumptuous, so he was going to leave the rest of the night up to her. _Still…he hoped…_

"Well…" Olivia focused on her fingers as she trailed them back and forth across the surface of the table. She gave Elliot a sideways glance, having an idea of what was on his mind. "I guess it isn't that late." She said. "But…" She hesitated a second. "Would you be terribly disappointed if we went out someplace? Had a few drinks? Maybe danced a little?"

"You want to dance?" Elliot asked. Olivia had danced at the bar, but he had assumed that had been fueled by alcohol. He was surprised by her request, but he wanted to do whatever she desired.

"I just don't want this night to end." Olivia said. "So, let's go to that same bar we went to…on the pier." She had every intention of ending the night with Elliot in her bed, but she felt the urge to go out and party a little before they ended the night. She reached across the table, running her fingers lightly down his arm. "And then…we can see where the night takes us."

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot could feel Olivia's excitement as she practically tugged him down the beach. They had both taken a few minutes to change, and he couldn't keep his eyes off Olivia was wearing a little black tank dress with a racer back, and the hem fell well above her knees. She had some simple sandals on, and he couldn't keep his eyes off the way her body moved as he allowed himself to be pulled across the sand. Her laughter and joy were infectious, and he couldn't even be disappointed at the delay in what he hoped was going to be a night spent in compromising positions.

"C'mon." Olivia said as she looked back at him, and he jogged a couple of steps to catch up to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist as they stepped up on to the pier. The noise was already loud…with the chatter and laugher of the patrons and the music the DJ was playing. A few seconds later, they were immersed in the crowd, and he could feel the energy from the party atmosphere.

Olivia made a beeline for the bar, and he moved quickly to catch up to her, afraid he'd lose her in the crowd. There was no way he was letting her out of his sight tonight. Each drink…each dance…each moment…was his. He heard her yell her order to the bartender and he leaned in and ordered a beer. They got their drinks, and the second they turned around, they bumped into Gina and Chris.

"Hey!" Gina yelled, realizing who was standing right in front of her. She threw her arms around Elliot's waist and hugged him, and Chris placed a kiss on Olivia's cheek. Elliot laughed; it was clear they had been drinking for a while.

"We lost you the other night." Gina said as she pulled back from Elliot.

Elliot knew she was talking about the night at the bonfire. "Yeah…" He said. "How were you feeling that night?" He asked, looking back and forth between Chris and Gina.

"She was so drunk. She practically passed out as we were going back to our room." Chris said. "I don't know what the hell they were drinking while we were gone." Chris said, seemingly unfazed by it.

He opened his mouth, but Olivia elbowed him. "Yeah, it was a crazy night." He looked over at her and saw she was shaking her head slightly, letting him know she didn't want to get into it. He wanted to see what Gina or Chris thought about his theory, but he supposed it didn't really matter now. Plus, he didn't want to bring up such an unpleasant subject on a night like tonight.

Gina was chattering about something with Olivia, and he couldn't quite make it out, but Chris started talking to him about an Everglades tour they'd gone on. He relaxed a little, dropping his questions about the other night, and before he knew it, they had finished their second drink.

Olivia and Gina had gotten slightly separated from Chris and Elliot, but she glanced over at him while Gina was telling her about a guy that had hit on her at the beach. He looked like he was genuinely enjoying himself, and that made her happy. He looked so damned sexy standing there, and memories from the night before came rushing back. She could feel the smile on her face, and she couldn't remember a time that she'd been this happy. No matter what ended up happening, she would treasure this week in her heart forever.

"So…you and Elliot." Gina asked, nudging her with her arm. "Are you ready to tell me the story about the two of you?"

"I already told you…" Olivia acted casual. She wasn't sure what she'd told Gina the other night when they'd been sitting around the bonfire.

"Yeah." She said, seemingly unconvinced. "I don't see a ring." She said, grabbing Olivia's left hand.

"It's not like that." Olivia said, pulling her hand back.

"Yeah." Gina said, rolling her eyes. "Denial…"

Olivia shook her head and cut her off. "You don't know me well enough to give me shit about Elliot."

"Hey." Gina said. "If you're not going to claim him, I might like an upgrade."

Olivia laughed, glancing back over at Elliot. She saw Elliot catch her eye, and he gave her a look that said he knew they were talking about it. _Damn ego._ She bit back a smile but didn't look away. Elliot seemed to read her expression and he said something to Chris, nodding in their direction. Seconds later, he was taking her drink from her hand and setting it on a nearby table, and he pulled her out onto the small dance floor.

Elliot was as surprised as Olivia seemed to be, but the atmosphere had gotten to him, just as it had the dozens of other people that crowded the floor. Chris and Gina joined them moments later, and he saw Olivia gyrating to the music with a huge smile on her face, and not for the last time, he wished this moment would never end.

Elliot put his left hand on Olivia's hip, anchoring her to his as they danced, and he could feel his blood warming as he let his mind revisit memories of her moving beneath him the night before. The next thing he knew, Chris and wrapped his arm around Olivia's waist and pulled her away from him, and Gina was dancing in front of him. The crowd was moving in one massive, sweaty heap, and he lost sight of her. He looked around for a few moments, but Gina was demanding his attention, and he smiled back down at her. A couple of other women joined their small circle, and people were moving all around them…the crowd moving to the fast rhythm of the music.

Chris and Olivia moved back into his line of vision, and he saw each of them was holding two shots. When they got close enough, they each handed one to Elliot and Gina.

"Happy Birthday Olivia!" Gina yelled, trying to be heard above the din.

Elliot wasn't sure what was in the shot glass, but he had to drink to Olivia's birthday, and he clinked glasses with the others and downed the shot.

_Tequila._

He saw Olivia shake her head slightly, reacting to the strong shot, but the smile was back on her face in seconds. He wondered how much she'd had to drink; he needed to stop drinking and stay sober so she could let loose and have some fun. Or, at the very least, not drink any more than he had already.

A waitress worked her way through the crowd, and Elliot didn't envy her in the least. But on the other hand, she probably made great tips. Chris was ordering more beers for the group, and Olivia and Gina were dancing in place. He realized that pretty much the entire bar was moving to the music, and then lights dimmed, and the bar took on the colors of the lights strung around the structure.

He reached out and pulled Olivia towards him, and she looked at him with a sultry expression he hoped to see many times in the future. She rested her hands on his shoulders as he placed his hands on her hips, and they melted into the crowd. He pulled Olivia closer and she lifted her head, looking at him with heavily lidded eyes, and he leaned in and grasped her lips with his. The noise and chaos around them seemed to disappear into the background as he deepened the kiss, but the jostling of the crowd reminded him of where they were. Olivia seemed to have the same realization, or else she was a hell of a tease, and she pulled back, giving him a sly smile. She was still dancing, and he noticed the sheen of sweat on her skin and the color in her cheeks. _God…this woman…_

Olivia was having so much fun. Flirting…dancing…drinking just a little bit too much. This wasn't her, but she was having a blast. She wanted to dance into the early morning hours and then wrap her body around Elliot's and wake up in his arms in the morning.

Elliot closed the gap between them, whirling her around to the music, and the DJ was getting the crowd whipped into even more of a frenzy. People were singing along to the song, and he found himself yelling with the crowd. They song finally wound down, and he was sweating from the tropical weather and the heat from the crowd. The next song was starting up and he leaned in, still needing to yell even though his mouth was right next to Olivia's ear. "I need something to drink." He knew he needed to sober up, but he needed some cold. "Whaddya want?" he asked, jerking his head towards the bar.

"I'm going to find the bathroom." She yelled back, and Elliot nodded as he headed towards the bar.

Olivia pushed her way through the crowd, wondering where in the hell the bathrooms were. She saw the waitress, and she directed her to go outside the structure and back along the pier towards the beach. Olivia nodded, walking through one of the open archways. There were tables and chairs sprinkled along the edge of the pier, and groups of people were standing around a few of them, talking or smoking. She thought she smelled marijuana, and her first instinct was to go into cop mode, but the Florida version of Olivia thought about asking them for a hit. She must have lingered for a moment too long, because one of the guys noticed her and waved her over with a smile.

She smiled back and shook her head, turning and walking down the pier, searching for the bathrooms in the back of the building. She saw two young women coming towards her, giggling and tripping over themselves and she knew she was headed in the right direction. She found the bathroom moments later and was surprised there wasn't a line. It was a relief. When she was done, she took a paper towel and ran it under the cold water, dabbing at her heated skin to try to cool off. Her hair was damp on her neck and her cheeks were pink, and there was really no hope for her mascara. She laughed at the mess she was but found she didn't really care. She ran her hand through her hair, and smoothed down her dress, realizing she was ready to wrap up this night. She was going to find Elliot, take him back to her room, strip down to her birthday suit, and help him do the same. Maybe a shower was in order…

_The possibilities were endless._

She smiled and looked at her reflection one more time before heading out of the bathroom. Elliot was probably wondering what was keeping her.

"Olivia."

She looked up, and saw a man standing there. It took her a moment for it to click.

"Adam."

He smiled at her. "I've been looking for you."

His comment unsettled her, and her immediate reaction was to look around.

But she was alone.


	19. Chapter 19

AN: Well, technically it's still the weekend! I appreciate everyone hanging in there. I have to tell you that I'm going to be unable to write for the next 3-4 days, so you'll have to be patient for the next update. I've started this chapter where we ended the last one. I hope you enjoy this update!

EOEOEOEO

"Olivia."

She looked up, and saw a man standing there. It took a moment for it to click. "Adam."

He smiled at her. "I've been looking for you."

His comment unsettled her, and her immediate reaction was to look around.

But she was alone.

"Why?" She furrowed her brows, trying to clear the haze of alcohol in her brain as she watched him, unsure of what to expect.

"The other night, at the bonfire. I thought we hit it off."

Adam took a step closer and she involuntarily took a step backwards. It was an automatic reaction. "The night you drugged me?" She wasn't sure she believed Elliot's theory, but she decided to toss it out there.

"What? I didn't…" Adam shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Olivia saw the look of confusion on his face, and she wasn't sure if it was genuine or if he was an excellent actor. Her cop instincts were kicking in, trying to assess the situation, but she wasn't at 100 percent. Her body wasn't telling her she was in danger…no hairs raised on the back of her neck or anything else…but she still didn't trust herself completely.

"I think there is just a lot of alcohol in those frozen drinks the bars serve." Adam said, when she didn't respond. "Cheap alcohol. They want to get people drunk."

"Maybe." Olivia said non-commitally, more focused on his body language than what he was saying. She glanced back down the pier towards the bar. The small groups were still outside, but they were wrapped up on their conversations and she knew that if she yelled, they wouldn't hear her over the sound of the music. If they happened to look in her direction, they would just see two people talking to each other. _Didn't anyone have to use the bathroom? _She looked back at Adam. "I need to get back…" She motioned towards the bar.

Adam took a step towards her and Olivia took a half-step backwards, feeling the wall behind her. "Wait. Don't go." He said, holding up his hands, as if he could hold her in place. "I just wanted to talk to you. You left so quickly the other night."

"Yeah, well, I told you that I was here with someone." Olivia said.

"Yeah, but he left you alone." Adam interrupted. "We were having a good time, and I bought you those drinks."

"We were having a good time, but I told you right from the beginning that it wasn't going anywhere." Olivia said. Her head was starting to clear a little, and she was going from being a little nervous to being angry. "And are you trying to insinuate that I owe you something because you bought me a few drinks?"

"No." Adam said vehemently. He looked back towards the bar and then back at her, as if seeing if anyone was watching the exchange. "Can we maybe go somewhere? Have a drink? I just want to talk to you some more."

Olivia watched to see if he was going to move any closer, because she had nowhere else to go, but he held his ground. She still wasn't sure of his state of mind, and she didn't want to make him angry, but she was done with this situation. She chose her words carefully. "I'm flattered, but that's not going to happen. I already have a boyfriend, and I'm just here on vacation. He's going to be looking for me." She made her move then, pushing herself off the wall and heading back in the direction of the bar, but Adam stepped in her path. Olivia stopped, assessing her next move. "Adam." She said, a tone of warning in her voice.

"Is everything okay here?"

Olivia turned and saw a security guard approaching, and she breathed a sigh of relief. He must have been able to read her body language, because his focus was completely on her. He moved a little closer, but Olivia kept her eyes on Adam. She noticed that Adam had backed away slightly, and he was murmuring something about everything being ok. When the guard reached her, she heard Elliot's voice, and she glanced down the pier. She saw the look of panic on his face as he jogged towards her.

"What's going on?" Elliot asked. He reached for her and pushed her back slightly, putting himself between her and Adam.

Olivia reached out and grasped his arm. "Nothing." She didn't want this situation to escalate. "I was just heading back, and I ran into Adam here…"

The guard was peering more closely at Adam. "Adam Grieco?" He took a few steps closer. "You've been banned from the premises, and from all the resorts in the area." He reached for his radio, but the moment he did, Adam started backing away. Elliot knew he was going to bolt, and as the security guard radioed to call the local place, Adam made his move. He pivoted and launched himself off the pier and into the sand, and Elliot didn't hesitate. He ran after him, landing hard on the sand and falling to his knees. But he recovered and headed in the direction that Adam had disappeared. The beach was dark, but there was enough moonlight to see his shadowy figure up ahead. It was hard to run on the loose sand, but he saw the man move up the beach, and when his feet hit compacted ground, he gained speed. He heard a loud crash, and a string of curses, and realized Adam must have tripped over something. Elliot grunted in exertion as he put everything he had into it, and then he saw Adam, trying to get up. Elliot leapt and landed on top of him, and both of them grunted as they hit the ground and rolled.

Adam tried to throw him off, but Elliot held him against the sand, trying to evade the punch he seemed bent on delivering. It was only seconds later, and Elliot heard other footsteps pounding along the beach and then hands were pulling him off Adam. "I'm a cop!" He yelled, repeating it several times. One of them straddled Adam, and he saw it was the security guard that had been at the pier. There was another man there that seemed to be from the local police department. They pushed him backwards, thanking him and telling them they had it from there. Elliot was about to object. He wanted information. But then he remembered Olivia standing back on the pier, and he turned to hustle back to her. He was out of breath and sweating when he got back, and he saw Olivia was right where he left her, but a police officer was talking to her.

"Elliot." She said, the moment he stepped foot on the pier. She had been worried about him since he had disappeared into the dark, having no idea what kind of threat Adam posed.

"Are you okay?" Elliot asked, ignoring the officer and rushing up to her. He ran his hands down her arms, looking her up and down for any signs of injury.

"I'm fine El." Olivia said, taking in his disheveled look. "Are you alright?"

"Excuse me." The officer said, trying to get their attention.

"Did he touch you?" Elliot asked, completely ignoring the officer.

"No." Olivia said quickly, knowing exactly where his mind was going. "I just came out of the bathroom and he was there. He said he had been looking for me…that he wanted to talk."

Elliot wasn't sure if he believed her, but he turned his attention to the officer. "What's the deal with this guy?" He motioned towards the beach. "The security guard said he was banned from the area. Why?"

"As I was trying to explain…" The officer started, clearly annoyed.

Elliot didn't really give a shit if he was, but he bit back a comment.

"Mr. Grieco has been suspected of several sexual assaults in the area over the past two years. But he's escaped prosecution due to lack of evidence."

Elliot realized the officer's annoyance wasn't with them, but with the police's inability to make any charges stick.

"The resorts in this area have been his personal playground, but since they're all private property, they've banded together and banned him from the premises, including this bar. But as you can imagine, with all of the people in and out all the time, it's hard to keep track of him." He looked from Elliot back to Olivia. "So, I'm going to ask you again. Did Adam Grieco do anything but talk to you tonight?"

Olivia shook her head. "No. He was just talking to me, and when I tried to leave…I wasn't sure what he was going to do but then the guard showed up and he took off."

"He drugged you the other night." Elliot said.

"We don't know that." Olivia said.

"Wouldn't surprise me. That's his M.O." The officer said.

"Nothing happened." Olivia said.

"Then it seems like you're one of the lucky ones." The policeman pulled a business card out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Olivia. "If you think of anything else…please give me a call." He waited another second, but when it was clear they weren't going to say anything else, he left them alone.

Olivia noted that a small group of people had gathered, and she turned away, pulling Elliot with her. "Let's get out of here."

"But…" Elliot held his ground, forcing her to stop and look back at him. He hated that Adam Grieco had ruined their evening.

"Let's go." Olivia urged, tugging at him.

"Don't you want to go back? Dance some more?" He slid his hands up her arms. "I don't want the night to be ruined."

Olivia gave him a big smile and moved closer, placing the palms of her hands on his chest. "He didn't." She said, looking up into his eyes. "I swear…Adam didn't touch me." She said. "And he didn't ruin anything." She wasn't covering anything up. "I've had such an amazing day…and an amazing night. No one can take that away from me." She slid her hands downward, resting them at his hips. "I'm just ready to move on to the next thing." She raised an eyebrow, giving him a sultry look.

Elliot knew he had to let it go. He had to believe her, because if he risked pushing her or questioning her, she was going to get angry. And he realized that he did believe her. "And just what might that be?" He asked, lowering his voice and talking in a gravelly tone.

Olivia started moving backwards, adopting an innocent air. "Sleep." She teased. "It's been a long day."

Elliot heard the teasing in her voice, and he couldn't help but smile as he matched her step for step. "It _has _been a long day." He conceded. "But…I was thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to end your birthday the same way we started it." He wiggled his eyebrows at her as he reached for her. At that moment, Olivia had jumped off the pier into the sand, and he missed her completely. She was running down the beach then, and he jogged after her. But he ran out of steam quickly.

"Liv." He said, stopping and placing his hands on his knees. He'd had too much to eat and drink today to participate in two chases in the loose sand. "Don't make me chase you." He pleaded.

Olivia laughed as she turned and saw him standing there, and she walked back towards him. "OK." She said, leaning in and capturing his lips in a quick kiss before he stood up.

"OK, you're not going to make me chase you?" Elliot asked. "Or, OK, we're going end the day like we started?" He knew he was being bold, as he'd promised himself that he wouldn't push her. But tonight had felt like one long tease.

Olivia cocked her head, and slid a hand down his arm, clasping his hand with hers. "Both." She said softly.

Elliot tugged her closer. They could still hear the sounds of people and music from the bar, but the sound of the waves crashing on to the shore overpowered it and Elliot pulled her closer. He rested his right hand on her waist and brushed her hair back from her face. He slid his hand down her cheek, and then held her chin between his thumb and first finger, tipping her face up until he was looking directly into her eyes. "Olivia…I…"

Olivia's breath quickened and she pushed herself up on to her toes, forcing Elliot to drop his hand as she grasped his lips with hers. She wasn't exactly sure what he was going to say, but she was afraid. She had longed to hear those three little words from him, but now…she wasn't ready.

Elliot resisted the kiss at first, but then he let it go. He turned his head and deepened the kiss, overwhelmed by desire. He felt Olivia start to pull him down into the sand, but he didn't want this to happen here. He was hot and sweaty, and he had sand in his clothes; he needed to get cleaned up.

He broke the kiss. "Let's go inside." Elliot said, holding her around the waist. "I need to get cleaned up. Take a shower…" He raised an eyebrow at her, hoping that maybe he could get her in the shower with him.

Olivia lifted her hair from the back of her neck. The night was warm, and with all the drinks and dancing…she could use a shower herself. And a shower with Elliot…that had infinite possibilities. "I could go for a shower." She said, giving him a small smile.

Olivia held out her hand, and Elliot took it, following her as she led them down the beach. Neither one of them said anything, and it was a quiet until they reached the patio that surrounded the pool. There were a few people at the pool bar, and a few people sitting in the hot tub, but it was pretty quiet as they skirted the edge of the pool.

"Man, it's hot." Elliot said. Once they'd gotten away from the beach, the breeze had really died down.

Olivia smiled, feeling mischievous. "Yeah, it is." She was still holding Elliot's hand, and before she could even think about it, she lifted their clasped hands and pushed, surprising Elliot.

"Hey!" He yelled, two seconds before he lost his balance and fell into the water. The water was cold, and he sputtered and pushed off the bottom of the pool, hearing Olivia's laugh as he broke the surface of the water. "What the hell?" He asked, wiping the water from his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Olivia said, laughing so hard she could barely get the words out…and not feeling sorry in the least bit. "I couldn't help myself."

"You couldn't help yourself?" Elliot asked. He wasn't really angry with her. The cold water felt good, and he was happy to hear her laughing.

Olivia was trying to stop laughing, but the more she tried, the harder she laughed. She took a step back as Elliot braced his arms on the pool deck and pulled himself out of the water. He shook his head, like a wet dog, and she let out a small scream and held up her hands as the cold drops of water hit her.

"You're going to pay for that Benson." Elliot said in a mock menacing tone. "When you least expect it…" He said, taking a few steps in her direction.

Olivia grinned. "Yeah? I'm not afraid of you." She said, grinning at him.

Elliot loved the challenge in her voice and in her eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He closed the gap between them then, hearing her gasp as he wrapped his wet body around hers. He took a few steps backward until he was falling into the pool, and he heard her scream with laugher as they both hit the water.


	20. Chapter 20

Olivia sputtered as they broke the surface. She'd been laughing as she had landed in the water, and she had gotten a mouthful of chlorinated water. She felt Elliot wrap his arm around her to support her as she coughed.

"You okay?" He asked, his voice laced with concern.

Olivia choked out a yes as she regained her breath. Elliot whirled her around and pushed her up against the wall of the pool.

"That's what you get for pushing me in the pool." He said with a laugh, looking her over to make sure she was okay. "What the hell?" He said, swiping the water from his face with his free hand as he held her hip against the wall of the pool with his left.

"You said you were hot…" She honestly didn't know what had possessed her to push him; she wasn't prone to those kinds of pranks on a regular basis. But _God_…she was having so much fun. She hadn't laughed like this in years.

"I didn't think you'd want me to cool off before we got upstairs." His voice was laced with innuendo and he pressed his lower body against her. "Plus…I think you mentioned something about a shower." He leaned in and kissed her, tasking the chlorine on her lips.

"Hey!"

Elliot pulled back and they both looked up. A security guard was standing there, a different man than had been down at the beach.

"Are the two of you guests of the resort?" He asked.

"Yes." Elliot said. He watched as Olivia ducked her hand inside her dress and pulled out her hotel room key. He raised an eyebrow in surprise, realizing she had stowed it in her bra, but looked back up at the security guard as she flashed it at him.

"The pool is closed." The guard said. "I would suggest you take this…" He pointed at them and made a circling motion with his hand. "Back to your room."

Elliot nodded, not wanting to get into it with the guard, and perfectly happy to take this back to her room. "That's where we're headed." He said.

The guard nodded and walked away but stopped at the edge of the pool deck and turned, watching them. Elliot move around Olivia and braced his arms, hoisting himself up on to the pool deck. He turned around and stretched out his arms. Olivia lifted hers and he grabbed them, pulling her up out of the water and steadying her as she settled on the pavement. He watched as Olivia tried to straighten out her dress, but it was plastered to her body, much like his clothes were clinging to him. Water was streaming down both of their legs, and he was sure they made quite a sight.

Olivia motioned towards the shelves that held the pool towels that was sitting against the far wall, and they both headed in that direction. Olivia tossed him a towel before grabbing one and drying off her arms and chest as well as she could. She wrung out her wet hair while she watched Elliot dry off his arms and legs. She smiled and reached for him, feeling overwhelmed with gratitude for everything Elliot had done for her. The gift of this trip…everything he had done to make this week special…this day extraordinary. It was so much more than she ever could have imagined and made her fall in love with him even more. _If that was even possible._

"Let's go upstairs." She whispered. She was still feeling a little drunk, and she wasn't sure if he was or not, but she wanted to make sure he knew that she welcomed his intent. She probably didn't need to worry; he was the one that had mentioned the shower.

Elliot grinned. He hadn't felt the need for an invitation, but he was happy that they were both on the same page. He grabbed a dry towel off the rack and wrapped it around Olivia's shoulders. He motioned towards the doors that led into the hotel. "After you."

By the time they reached Olivia's hotel room, they were shivering from the air conditioning in the hotel. Olivia couldn't get her room door opened fast enough, thoughts of Elliot's hands and mouth occupying every thought. When the door was closed, she moved to push him against the door, but he had other plans.

"Let's get you out of those wet clothes." He said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the bedroom area. When they were standing near the end of the bed, Elliot reached for the hem of her dress, but she pushed his hands away.

"I can do it." She said, backing away towards the bathroom door.

Elliot reached for her, pulling her back towards him. "Yeah, I know you can. But this is my favorite part."

Olivia arched her brow. "_That's _your favorite part?"

"Well, maybe not my favorite. But I enjoy it a whole helluva a lot. All those years of wondering…" He slipped a hand into her hair and leaned in to grasp her lips, kissing her hungrily. He used his left hand to slide up the outside of her right thing, dragging the wet material past her hip until he hit lace. He felt Olivia's hands on his belt, and then she was tugging his shirt from his shorts. He had to break the kiss as she pulled his t-shirt up and over his head. They found each other gain, kissing as she worked on the buckle of his belt and the zipper on his shorts. He moaned into her mouth as she slid her hand inside, running her hand down his covered length. She rubbed up and down a few times, the material of his underwear causing almost unbearable friction. He reached down and pulled her hand from his shorts, stepping back and pushing them down his hips.

"All the way." Olivia said, letting her eyes trail down his chest, following the path of his muscles where they disappeared into his underwear.

"Oh no." Elliot said, shaking his head. "You have to give me something first."

The command, along with the deep gravel of his voice, sent a thrum low in her belly. She was both hating and loving this slow tease, but if Elliot wanted to play games, she would play along. She reached down and grabbed the hem of her dress, crossing her arms as she lifted it over her head and dropped it to the ground. She shifted her attention back to Elliot and saw him taking in her black lace and satin bra…and then down to her matching lace black boy briefs.

"Fuck me." Elliot whispered. He had already seen her in her underwear, and he had already seen her naked, but the woman was so damned sexy, each time was like the first. When his eyes worked their way up to hers, he saw a small smile on her lips.

"You like these?" She asked, slipping her fingers beneath the lace of her underwear and running them back and forth along the waistband. Elliot was nodding. She hadn't been sure about the boy briefs, but apparently, they were a hit.

"I like them." Elliot said. "But I'd prefer them off."

"You're the one that said the slow tease was your favorite…" Olivia said, pulling the lace down her hips slightly and then pulling them back in place. "And now you're complaining." She watched as Elliot followed her hands as she toyed with the lace. She flattened her palms against her skin and ran them up over her abdomen, to her rib cage, and then over her breasts. She could feel her peaked nipples through the satin, and she could see Elliot swallow hard as she squeezed her breasts in her hands.

Elliot couldn't take his eyes off her. He knew she was dragging this out on purpose because of his comment, but he wasn't complaining. He was hard as granite though, and he knew his patience would only go so far. Olivia's hands slid upwards, toying with the straps of her bra, and now she was pulling them down over her shoulders. When she slid them back in place, he broke. He moved over to her and grasped them, sliding them back down her shoulders and attacking her neck with his mouth. He slid his hands around to her back, deftly unclasping her bra and tossing it to the floor. He kissed his way over the swell of her breasts, but then he felt Olivia shiver beneath him. He lifted his mouth from her skin, wondering if he was the one that had caused the goosebumps or if it was the temperature in the room, but it didn't matter. He wanted her in the shower.

Olivia felt the shift, and seconds later, Elliot's hands were turning her around, pushing her towards the bathroom.

"Your ass in those underwear…" Elliot whistled appreciatively. He caught up with her and slapped her ass lightly, grasping her left cheek and squeezing it. "_Christ._"

When they made it to the bathroom, Olivia opened the glass shower door and turned on the water. When she turned around, she saw Elliot had divested himself of his underwear, and her entire body clenched at the sight of him. He was a beautiful man…all hard muscle and taut skin. And she ached to have him inside of her.

Olivia walked back towards Elliot, taking his length in her hand as his lips met hers. After a minute, Elliot removed her hand subtly, and pulled her against him, slipping his tongue inside of her mouth. Elliot was grasping her ass and grinding against her, and she wanted him to push her against the counter and fuck her right there. But suddenly, Elliot released her and headed towards the shower, dragging her along behind him. He opened the door, motioning her through, and then closed it behind him. Olivia reached for him, wanting him badly, but he turned her around, settling her under the warm spray.

Elliot looked at the smooth skin of her back, the dip in her lower back and the curve of her ass. He pulled the wet lace down her hips, watching her lush ass appear as he pushed them down her legs. The pooled on the shower floor, and she kicked them to the side. Elliot grabbed the shower gel and squeezed it on her back. She let out a small yell as the cold gel hit her skin, but then his hands were there, smoothing it down her back. He lathered up it up, and then let his hands roam, smoothing lather over her sides, up her ribs, and over her breasts. Her body spasmed as he ran his fingers over her hard nipples over and over again. He moved closer, prodding her ass with his erection. He slid his hands down, one following the other, until his right hand slipped between her legs.

Olivia shifted her stance, widening her legs to give him access. He was running his fingers though her folds while his erection slipped between her legs from the back and she openly moaned at the sensations coursing through her body. She arched her back and grabbed on to his upper thighs, wanting to give him better access, and he rubbed her clit relentlessly. The slipperiness from the gel and her own wetness mixed together, and he pushed up against her and bit down lightly on her shoulder as he heard her panting and moaning. He pulled his hips back and then moved forward again, and the friction almost made him come. It took everything in him not to bite down harder against her skin, and as much as he wanted her to come, he wasn't going to be able to take much more of this.

Olivia was gasping now, and he knew she was close, but she took matters into her own hands. She released her hold on his thighs and leaned forward, slapping her hands against the tiles. She widened her legs even farther and dropped her head, giving in to him completely. Elliot took a step closer, trailing his fingers down her spine…then over the curve of her ass…and then between her legs, until he slipped a finger inside of her. She arched her back again, bucking back against him, and his erection prodded her in the ass.

"I don't want your fingers." Olivia rasped out.

Elliot pulled his finger from inside of her, and lined himself up, teasing her slightly. Olivia moaned out her impatience, pushing her ass back into him again. He didn't need anymore encouragement. He slid inside of her slowly, pushing against her body's resistance, until he was deep inside of her. Olivia let out a cry and she arched against slightly.

"More." She said, dropping her head again and adjusting her hands against the tiles.

Elliot reached up and covered her hand with his on the tile. He put his left hand on her hip and pulled out slightly, thrusting himself back inside of her…harder and deeper. They both let out a long, low moan, and he held himself there for a moment. He could feel her walls tight around him, and he will himself not to come. "Jesus Liv." He choked out.

"Move." Olivia directed, pushing back against him. He had gotten her so worked up…so close… with his fingers between her legs, and she was aching for release. Elliot had never taken her like this before, and he was so deep and hitting her in just the right place. He listened to her, pulling out and thrusting back in, over and over, and she could feel her orgasm building. She was gasping now, as she heard his grunting and the slap of their skin as they connected again and again. The warm water was still sluicing over him and splashing on her back, adding another element of touch as it ran down her body. Elliot released her hand and was digging both hands into her hips as he buried himself inside of her, and she dug her fingers into the tiles as she felt her orgasm starting to tear through her body. She tightened around him, and she heard him let out a string of swear words as her orgasm triggered his. He held himself tightly against her as emptied himself deep inside of her.

Elliot slipped one hand around her waist, pulling her up against him, as he thrust inside of her a few more times. Olivia gasped with each movement, and he slid his hand down between her legs, running it over her clit. Her entire body jolted, and she grabbed his hand, pushing it away. She couldn't handle that right now. Every nerve was on overdrive. Elliot seemed to get the hint. He slid his hands down over her arms, pulling them from the wall and standing her more upright, still buried deep inside of her. He brushed her wet hair from her neck, kissing along her shoulder and the back of her neck. She shivered, despite the heat in the room and the fire in her body.

Elliot pulled his mouth from her skin and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. They stood like that for minutes, intimately connected in every way, until the water started to run cool. Reluctantly, they pulled apart and turned off the water. Elliot reached outside the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it gently around Olivia's body. He grabbed another one for himself and tucked it around his waist.

Olivia looked exhausted, but happy as she leaned against the counter. "Hell of a day." Elliot said.

"This morning seems like so long ago." Olivia could scarcely believe all the things they had done in just one day."

"Well, technically, that was yesterday morning." Elliot said. It has been after 1AM when they'd reached Olivia's room. He had no idea what time it was now.

As if on cue, Olivia yawned. "So, it's not my birthday anymore."

Elliot leaned in, placing one hand on the counter on either side of her. "Nope." He kissed the tip of her nose. "But we'll still count it."

"OK." Olivia said, giving him a small smile.

"Happy Birthday Olivia." Elliot said, placing a gentle kiss on her mouth. "Now, let's get you to bed."

"That sounds wonderful." Olivia said. Elliot backed up so she could pass, and she walked into the bedroom, locating a tank top and a pair of leggings. She realized Elliot didn't have anything dry to put on, but he didn't seem bothered by it. He climbed into bed completely naked, and she hesitated for a second. But she needed to sleep and putting on clothes would definitely help. Elliot didn't say anything as she dressed and then climbed into bed.

"Is it ok if I stay?" He asked.

"Yes, of course. But I need some sleep." She said, giving him a look. "I mean it."

Elliot held up his hands and adopted an air of innocence. "I promise to let you sleep."

Olivia looked at skeptically for a second, and then dropped onto the bed. Elliot pulled the covers up over them and took less than five seconds before he had his body wrapped around hers. "I already told you that I'm not a big snuggler." She said. She wasn't used to having anyone sleep with her.

"Just for a minute." Elliot said, nuzzling her hair with his mouth.

Olivia smiled. "OK." She knew he probably wasn't going to let go, but she supposed she could get used to this. She relaxed into it and closed her eyes, knowing sleep would claim her quickly.

"Olivia." Elliot whispered into her ear. The words were on his lips…he wanted to say them. Yet, something held him back. Maybe it was because she was already half asleep, or maybe he was worried that she wouldn't say them back.

"Mmm?" She murmured.

Elliot didn't say anything for a moment, and then chickened out. The time wasn't right. "Sweet dreams." He let out a sign and closed his eyes, just happy to be where they were.


	21. Chapter 21

AN: I hope you're still enjoying this story. We'll be wrapping things up shortly. Thanks for reading!

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia woke slightly, swimming into consciousness. She heard a sound she couldn't identify, and she opened her eyes half-way to see sunlight streaming into the room. She realized Elliot was closing all the blinds, since they'd obviously forgot to do it the night before. She reminded herself to thank him later and fell blessedly back to sleep.

The next time she woke, it was to someone knocking quite persistently on the door. Her eyes fluttered opened, and she heard Elliot moving next to her. He was mumbling something akin to a complaint, and then Olivia heard the door opening.

"Housekeeping."

Olivia's eyes popped open and she sat up abruptly. She looked over at Elliot, knowing he was still naked, and saw he had covered himself up.

"We're still sleeping." Olivia called out, scrambling out of bed. "Can you come back later?" She rounded the corner into the living room area, and saw the maid standing there with the door half open.

"So sorry ma'am." She apologized. "You didn't answer."

"No, it's fine." Olivia said. "Just come back later."

The maid nodded and shut the door behind her. Olivia engaged the security lock, another thing they neglected to do in their haste the night before. She walked back into the bedroom area, brushing her hair back. She took in the pile of clothes on the floor…most of which were probably only half dry…and the pile of towels deposited next to the bed.

"Good morning." Elliot said.

Olivia looked back over at him, sitting with the sheets bunched up on his lap.

"You look exhausted." Elliot saw the signs of fatigue in her face and in her posture. He'd seen it hundreds of times as they had worked hard cases and long hours. He lifted his hands in a defensive gesture. "Hey, I let you sleep all night."

Olivia glanced over at the bedside clock. 10:15AM. "Yeah, but what time did we go to bed?" She plopped down on the end of the bed near Elliot's feet and fell backwards. She rubbed her hands over her face and closed her eyes.

"Are you hungover?" Elliot asked.

"No." Olivia said quickly. She rolled over on her side, lifting her head and balancing it on her crooked arm. "I think this entire week is just catching up to me. And we did a lot yesterday."

"It's been the best week I've had in a long time." He looked at her messy hair and her sleepy expression, and he knew he wanted to wake up like this every day for the rest of his life. "I don't want it to end."

Olivia sighed heavily and fell back on to the bed. She bent her arm and covered her eyes with it. "I don't want to think about it." She knew that this conversation was leading to a larger conversation that she wasn't ready to have. At least right now.

"I don't want to think about it either, but we just have a few more days." He could tell by Olivia's posture and tone that she wasn't interested in talking about anything serious. The next few days, or life after this trip. He also knew that if he pushed her, she would retreat quickly, so he had to tread lightly. It made him a little angry, because he would have thought that after all that had happened this week, she'd be more open and trusting. He pushed the sheets to the side and climbed out of bed, sighing heavily. "I'm going to go to my room and take a shower."

Olivia uncovered her eyes and looked up at him, but he was studiously avoiding her gaze as he picked up his clothes from the floor. She watched as he plucked his wallet out of the pocket of his shorts and shook his head, and then as he pulled the same damp shorts onto his body. He didn't bother to get dressed anymore than that. He just balled up his t-shirt and underwear and tucked it under his arm as he fished in his wallet for his room key card. Olivia could tell he was upset with her, and knew that she should stay something, but she stayed silent. She didn't want to talk about the things he wanted to talk about.

Elliot knew Olivia was watching him; he could feel her eyes on him. He saw her sit up as he found his key card. He knew she was waiting for him to say something to ease the tension…to let her off the hook…but he wasn't going to let her off that easily. She was the one pushing him away, even though she'd deny it. He looked directly at her for the first time and saw the apprehension on her face. He hated to see it, especially after the night they'd had. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came to mind. He let out a small sigh, and leaned over, and placed a quick kiss on her forehead.

Olivia watched him turn and head out of the room, turning the corner and moving out of sight without saying a word. She heard the door open before she jumped off the bed and rushed around the corner. "El." He stopped, holding the door partially open, but didn't turn to face her. "Can we meet for lunch? Patio restaurant? Around 11?"

Elliot dropped his shoulders, wanting a little space but knowing he wouldn't say no to her. The reality was that they did only have a few days left. And if this was all she was going to be able to give him, he would take it. He turned back towards her and looked into her eyes, seeing her hopeful but cautious expression. He hesitated for a moment, and then leaned in and kissed her. Her expression changed to one of surprise as he pulled away. He gave her a quick smile. "11."

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia sat at the high-top table in the patio restaurant, working on her second glass of orange juice and wondering if Elliot was going to stand her up. It was almost 11:30, and unlike him to be late, but she resisted texting him. She knew he'd been unhappy with her this morning, and she figured maybe he was making her squirm a little as a form of payback. It was childish, but effective. She was squirming. Still, she wouldn't have changed how she had acted this morning. It wasn't the right time to have what she referred to as _the talk_. There were a variety of reasons she hadn't wanted to pursue it. For one, she hadn't decided what she wanted to come out of this whole thing. It was what she thought she had wanted for so long, but the choices they made here impacted their future in so many ways. And both choices had their pros and cons. But the real reason she had put it off was that she was pretty certain Elliot had already made a decision, and there was something that scared her about that.

"Hey."

Olivia heard Elliot's voice behind her, and then he came around her side, sliding one hand across the back of her shoulders as he sat onto the stool next to her.

"Sorry I'm late. I got caught up on the phone. Talking to the kids."

Olivia was a little annoyed because he still could have texted her, but she let it go. "How're they doing?" she asked coolly.

"Good."

The waitress opted to interrupt them then, before Elliot could continue. He looked over at Olivia. "Did you order already?" He asked her.

"No, I was waiting for you." She pushed the short menu to the side. "But I know what I want." She rattled off her order to the waitress, and Elliot did the same. They were quiet after she left, and when she returned with Elliot's iced tea, they still hadn't spoken.

The security guard they'd run in to by the pool the night before strolled by on the far edge of the patio and caught both of their eyes.

"Doesn't that guy get any time off?" Elliot asked.

"I was just thinking the same thing."

"I wonder if Adam spent the night in jail."

"Why would he?" Olivia asked. "They don't have anything on him."

"Are you sure nothing happened? He didn't touch you?" Elliot asked. "I have the officer's number. We can call him."

"Are you suggesting that I lied?" Olivia challenged.

"No." Elliot said. "I just thought...well…maybe you didn't want to tell me."

"Why wouldn't I tell you?"

Elliot shrugged. "Because you were afraid of what I'd do."

"I'm not going to take the opportunity to turn in a predator because I thought you couldn't control yourself?" Olivia shook her head. "Sometimes I don't think you know me at all."

Elliot sighed. "I was just checking. If we have a chance to help get this guy off the street…"

"Sorry, but he didn't touch me." Olivia said, interrupting him.

"Liv. I wasn't…"

"Hey there!" The both turned and saw a woman walking towards them carrying a clipboard. She was wearing white shorts, a blue polo shirt with the resort's emblem stitched into it, white tennis shoes and a deep, rich tan. "How're are you doing today?" She asked, settling her clipboard on the edge of the table.

Elliot gave her a big smile. "We're good." He said, looking back at Olivia and then back at the bubbly young woman.

"Well, my name is Whitney. I'm trying to recruit people for a sand volleyball tournament we're having today." She looked back and forth between them and then her eyes settled on Elliot. "Can I count on you?"

"Sounds like fun." Elliot said. He was actually being sincere. He was used to a pretty regular workout schedule and it had been several days of laying around, eating and drinking. Plus, it appealed to his competitive spirit. He turned and looked at Olivia. "You want to play?"

Olivia furrowed her brows. Team sports was not her thing. "No. I've never even played volleyball."

"No experience required." Whitney volunteered. "We have lots of people play that haven't played before. You look like you're in good shape."

"I think I'll pass." Olivia said. She expected Elliot to bow out as well, so she was surprised when he didn't. Whitney proceeded to fill Elliot in on the details of when and where, and she realized that it was less than an hour away. They would eat and then he'd leave, and she wondered if he was doing it to purposefully avoid her again.

The moment Whitney bounced away to find her next player, their waitress delivered their lunch. Olivia could hear Whitney giving her enthusiastic pitch to a couple at the next table, and she rolled her eyes. "She loves her job."

Elliot heard the sarcasm in her voice, and he shrugged. "Seems like it." He took a bite of his sandwich. "Why didn't you want to play?"

"I've never played. I've never been big into sports."

"You're a runner."

Olivia wrinkled her nose. "What does that have to do with it?" She shook her head. She wasn't going to let Elliot guilt her into playing. "I'd rather just get some sun and spend some time in the water."

"Whatever you want." Elliot said. Honestly, Elliot was still a little annoyed with her. He had moved slowly up in his hotel room, rethinking how everything had played out Olivia had been all in on the intimacy between them, even ratcheting it up in Miami Beach. But she had backed away when he'd even come remotely close to voicing any kind of emotions or telling her how he was feeling. He thought they had been moving things forward towards the same end, but now he was uncertain. He didn't want to think that Olivia was going to be okay with them having a fun week of casual and then going back to the city and returning to the way things had been.

Maybe he shouldn't be surprised.

That had been her life to that point. Men were utilitarian for her. She got what she wanted from them and then pushed them away.

He thought he was different from the other men in her life. That maybe her feelings for him had kept her from moving forward with anyone else. But maybe that had been arrogant.

Maybe she just didn't have it in her to commit to anyone.

Elliot looked back over at her and saw her pushing her food around her plate.

No, he wasn't going to give up on her. He wouldn't let her give up on them.

But he needed some space…and maybe she did too. Maybe then, she'd have some time to think and would be ready to talk to him.

"Hey, I think I'm going to get going." Elliot said, motioning towards the beach, tired of thinking about all the maybes. "I'm going to need some time to warm-up." He stood up, stretching slightly. "I'm not as young as I used to be."

Olivia rolled her eyes at him, and he took that as a good sign.

"Don't hurt yourself." Olivia said.

"You worried about me?" Elliot asked, raising one eyebrow.

"I just don't want you to be useless to me." She said, giving him a small smile. Elliot leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"See ya' later." He said and took off towards the beach. He was looking forward to playing, and to having a little breather. And he was okay with how they'd left things.

Olivia watched Elliot walk away and there was a moment where she considered taking off after him. But she refrained. She took one last sip of her ice water, gathered her things, and headed towards their spot on the beach.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia dozed off and on in the afternoon sun, taking a dip in the water when the heat became too intense, and slathering on more sunscreen before her skin burned. Elliot had been gone for quite a while now, but she was too lazy to dig out her watch and look at the time. He would return when he was ready and knowing how long he'd been gone wasn't going to change anything. It was only going to make her more anxious.

Olivia had spent the quiet moments thinking. She thought about the reasons Elliot may have tried to surprise her with this trip, and if he had really booked it with no expectations. She found it unlikely, since it seemed like their complicated relationship was the common thread that bound every decision they'd made over the past several years. Nothing between them was ever easy, but their practiced denial probably allowed them to think they had no ulterior motives, while their subconscious was influencing every decision.

She was watching kids and adults alike cooling off in the water, and thinking about another swim herself, when Elliot came jogging down the beach. He was carrying his t-shirt in his hand, and he was covered in sweat. She could see that his shoulders were burned from the sun, but he had a big grin on his face. As he jogged closer, he saw that she was watching him, and he waved, turning up from the water's edge to where she was sitting.

"Hey." He said, tossing his shirt on his lounge chair.

"Hey yourself." Olivia shot back, giving him a smile. She would never admit it, but she had been a little lonely without him there. "How was the game?"

"We played three games. We won!"

Olivia heard the pride in his voice, true to his competitive nature. "Was there a fabulous prize?"

"Just bragging rights." Elliot gave her another grin. He had enjoyed the game but was glad to be back here with her. "I'm going to go for a swim." He held out his hand. "Come with me."

Olivia didn't hesitate. She swung her legs to the side, and Elliot reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her up from the chair. He headed towards the water, walking right in. He dropped her hand when they were up to their hips, and dove head-first into the saltwater.

Elliot broke the surface, thankful for the cold water. He had been a little out of his league in the volleyball game, and it had been a rough three games. But he was never one to give up, so he'd given it his all. But he was overheated, and he really needed this swim. It was only Olivia that had made him wait until he'd gotten back here. He had missed being with her; he hadn't been able to get her off his mind during the game.

He turned around and looked until he spotted Olivia. She was walking into the water much more slowly than he had, and he walked back towards her. It reminded him of the first time they'd been in the water…when she had surprised the hell out of him with a kiss.

She was just inches away from him, and he reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her flush against him.

He was done playing games.

He crashed his lips on hers and he heard a sound of surprise from her. The kiss was brief, but intense, and he looked down into her eyes as he pulled his mouth from hers. "I missed you."

"You were only gone for a couple of hours." Olivia said, resting her hands on his shoulders. She saw the look of disappointment on his face and her expression softened. "I missed you too."

Eliot smiled down at her, shifting slightly and adjusting his hold on her. "I'm glad you admitted it." He ran a hand along her collarbone and back, toying with the strap of her bikini top. He focused back on her eyes and took a deep breath. "So…here's the thing." He started. "I know you may not be ready to hear this…" He felt her tense slightly in his arms, despite the motion of the water around them, but he held her tight. "I couldn't be happier with how things have gone this week. I may not have planned it, but it's everything I've ever wanted with you. I've been a goddamned idiot…not seeing what was right in front of me the whole time." He paused, expecting her to interrupt him, but she was only staring at him, looking somewhat shocked. He understood it at some level; communication had never been his strong suit. But he forged ahead. "If we leave here and only have this week, I'll have to figure out how to live with that. But I want to be very clear with you…that's not what I want." He brushed her jaw with his fingers, rubbing the apple of her cheek with his thumb. "What I'm trying to tell you is that I love you Olivia. I have for a long time, and I hope to God, you let me. And that you can tell me you love me too."

Elliot was practically holding his breath, and his heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. He hadn't intended to say all of that to her. It hadn't been planned, but something had driven him to it, and he'd spoken from the heart.

She had to know.

Olivia was dumbstruck by Elliot's words. They were here, in the most improbable place, and he had said the words she had longed for and feared for so long. Her instincts told her this couldn't be happening…this couldn't be real…but she saw the look of hope on Elliot's face and she knew she couldn't deny him. She slid her hand behind his neck and pulled herself up slightly on his body. She wrapped her legs around his waist and framed his jaw with her hands. "I love you." She said, her voice barely more than a whisper. She leaned in and kissed him, afraid of what else she might confess.


	22. Chapter 22

Once again, the hotel room floor was littered with wet clothing.

Their confessions had been fresh in their minds and their kisses had been heated…and coming back to the room hadn't even required discussion.

Elliot lost count of the number of times he had told Olivia that he loved her since he had slipped her suit from her body and lay her gently on the bed. He said it again as he lay with her body tangled with his and he felt her hum in contentment as she shifted her head on his chest.

"You know…" He started. "I didn't plan…I mean…I always thought that when I told you that I was in love with you, it would be in some kind of romantic setting or something. More…planned." He stumbled with that he was trying to say.

"Well, I didn't really expect to kiss you in the middle of the ocean, so I guess we're even." Olivia said. "Honestly, I never expected to kiss you at all." She snuggled in a little more tightly, somehow feeling braver since she wasn't looking him in the eye.

"I'm glad you kissed me first because I don't know if I would have ever gotten up the courage…" Elliot said, surprised at himself for confessing.

"Obviously." Olivia said. The word came out quickly and she almost regretted it, not quite knowing how he would take it. She tensed up slightly.

"Yeah, I'm an idiot." Elliot said, chuckling. He felt Olivia relax again. "But to be fair, you can be kind of intimidating." He kissed the top of her head again. "I don't always know what's going on in the head of yours."

"I feel like you know me better than anyone. We finish each other's sentences half the time. You know what I'm thinking most of the time."

"Yeah. Sometimes. But really…I only know the parts you let me see." Elliot said.

"What does that mean?" Olivia asked.

Elliot hated that she was tensing up again, and he wondered if they should keep going down this path. But she was talking, so he was going to take that as a good sign. "It just means…" He tried to find the right words. "You play things pretty close to the vest in a lot of ways. I know about your mom and your birth, but really very little about your childhood or days in the academy. You don't tell me much about what goes on in your personal life most of the time. I know you're great with victims and incredibly brave. I know that you can run faster than me and that you're a better shot than me, but I don't know your favorite color. It's like I've put together an image of you based on little bits and pieces I've learned over the years, but the rest…" He paused. "I guess I've just filled in the blanks."

"Blue."

"What?" Elliot asked, confused by her answer.

"My favorite color is blue." Olivia said, going for the laugh even though she knew he was being serious. She sighed, knowing she wasn't being fair. "I thought you knew me pretty well." She said. "But I guess maybe I haven't revealed as much of myself as I thought." She confessed. "Maybe I didn't want you to see the ugliness from my past or failures in my life. Or maybe I just couldn't let you get any closer than you already were…"

Elliot thought he understood what she was trying to say. "Yeah, we've done a pretty good job of keeping each other at arm's length…while staying completely tethered to each other in almost every way."

Olivia smiled against his chest. "Who _are_ you?" She teased. Elliot had never come across as a very deep thinker or a great communicator. "That was pretty deep, and pretty spot on."

"So, I'm not a complete ass." Elliot said, smiling as he nuzzled the top of her head.

Olivia's leg was tangled between his, and she ran rubbed her foot against his. "I guess I've got more to learn about you too." She ran her foot up his shin slightly. "And don't make me start thinking about your ass." She teased.

Elliot laughed. "Trying to distract me?" He asked.

"Nah…" Olivia nuzzled his chest. "It's just…I'm not used to talking like this. With you."

"I hear you. But it's good. And I guess we're going to have to get used to it."

"Yeah?" Olivia asked.

Elliot heard the question in her voice, and he hated that she was trying to mask the hopefulness. "Yeah." He said firmly, hopefully putting any doubt to rest.

Olivia was quiet for a moment, mulling over what Elliot had said. She felt a little sad that he didn't feel like he knew all of her, but there was some truth to what he had said. At first, it had been embarrassment and shame that had kept her from delving too much into her past with him, along with the fact that he was just her partner at the time. There was clear separation between their personal lives and work. Later…she felt too much for him…and had to keep some boundaries in place. She certainly wasn't going to tell him about her love life…or her inability to commit to anyone because the only thing she could do was compare them to him.

Elliot stayed mute, knowing Olivia was mulling over everything that had just been said. He wanted to give her time; he knew that's how she liked to process everything. He just hoped she knew that he was in this for the long haul…if that was what she wanted. If she didn't…

"What happens now?"

Elliot heard her ask the question, but it was barely a whisper. He was somewhat surprised she had screwed up the courage to ask, even though it was logically the next question to ask. He had expected her to shy away from it…to come back with some kind of distraction and leave the rest of the serious conversation for another day. But even though she'd asked, he still had no idea what was on her mind, so he had to move ahead cautiously. "What do you _want_ to happen?" He asked, nuzzling the hair on top of her head as he spoke.

"I asked you first." Olivia said.

"Liv…" Elliot said, loosening his arms slightly and pulling his upper body back slightly so he could look down at her. He repeated her name when she didn't take the hint and look up at him.

Olivia pulled back a little farther, meeting Elliot's eyes. "Well…I did." She said, holding her ground.

"You're so goddamned stubborn." He teased, brushing her hair back so he could see both eyes fully. "You know..." He said, ducking his head forward slightly and looking directly into both eyes. "It's okay for you to tell me what you want."

Olivia opened her mouth but then closed it again, averting her eyes. "I don't know what I want."

"Bull…" Elliot said. "I think you know exactly what you want."

"I don't." She insisted. A part of her wanted it all, but a part of her was afraid of what that meant. She didn't know if she could give him more than what they had right now.

Elliot wasn't sure if she was telling him the truth, or if she was still afraid of asking for things that she thought she didn't deserve. It made him feel sad, because she deserved to have everything she wanted. "You want to move in together?" He reached down with his hand and lifted her chin, so she was forced to look at him again. "You want to get married? Start a family?"

"What?" She shook her head. "No!" She was shocked that he could talk about those things so casually. She started to disentangle herself from him and pull away. "No." She shook her head as she sat up, pulling the sheet up to cover herself.

Elliot pushed himself up until he was sitting on the bed. His knee knocked hers as he pulled the blanket over his lap. "That's not a proposal so don't panic." He said. "I just…" He reached for her, but pulled back as she glanced at him, mild panic in her features. "Is this…" He didn't want to put a voice to his thoughts, but he had to know. "Is this just a fling for you?"

Olivia scrubbed her hands down her face. She was screwing this up, but she couldn't seem to focus her thoughts or put a voice to what she was feeling. "No." She shook her head. "I don't know." She said. "Is that what you want it to be?"

"I think I've been pretty clear that it's not." Elliot said. "And if I haven't been…"

"I've never…I haven't…" The words wouldn't come, and she was frustrated.

"Just take a deep breath." Elliot said. "And tell me what you're thinking, no matter how you think it sounds."

Olivia heard what he said, but there was a part of her that was still afraid.

"C'mon. The Olivia I know isn't afraid of anything." Elliot said, trying to lighten the tension slightly.

Olivia nodded. She had to try. "I've never felt like this." She held her balled fist to her heart. "I've never wanted something so badly." She saw Elliot smile. "But…I don't know how to do this. I've never had a relationship that's lasted longer than a few months. I've never…"

"Shhh." Elliot said, feeling her distress coming off her in waves. "I'm not asking you to commit to anything, except to giving us a chance." He reached out and pulled her hand from her chest, holding it in his. "Just give us a chance. OK?" He asked hopefully. "Can you do that? Do you want to do that?" He hoped she said yes, and that over time, she'd learn that it was okay to want things…to ask for things. That her heart was safe with him.

Olivia nodded. "OK. Yes. I want that." She squeezed his fingers. "I want you…us…to work." She said. "I guess I'm just scared of being hopeful. It seems like there are a lot of things standing in our way."

"The two of us are unstoppable." Elliot said, breaking into a grin. "We're not going to let anything stand in our way." He knew that may be easier said than done, and that she was probably right. But for now, he was going to take her acceptance and focus on that. "I love you." He said, leaning over and kissing her.

Olivia smiled. "I love you too."

EOEOEOEOEO

"Maybe you should just bring your suitcase in here to pack." Olivia teased. Elliot had pretty much moved into her room and had made three trips back and forth to collect clothes and other things back to his room.

Elliot came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, practically lifting her off her feet. "Well, if you wouldn't keep taking my clothes off every time I'm in your room…" He teased, nuzzling her ear with his lips. These past few days had been a whirl. A fantastic blend of sun and sand, wining and dining, and fantastic sex. Neither one of them wanted to leave, but like any other vacation, they knew they had to return to their real life. Part of him was excited to take their newly minted relationship back to the city. Somehow, he felt like that would make it feel real.

"It seems to me that I'm always stripped down before you." Olivia said, clasping the hand holding her against him. She wasn't complaining. The man was a patient and giving lover, and she'd never felt more loved and adored than she did right now.

"Yeah, well I'm not going to apologize for that." Elliot said.

"I'm not asking you to."

Elliot released her. "Good." He slapped her ass playfully. "One hour until we have to leave for the airport." He looked at the mess in the room. "Are you going to be ready?"

"I'll be packed." Olivia assured him. "But I'm not sure I'll be ready." She sat down on the edge of the bed.

Elliot leaned against the credenza and crossed his arms. This wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation, and he was pretty sure it wouldn't be the last. "We're ready." He said simply. "We're just going to take it one day at a time." Olivia had expressed concerns about the job…his ex-wife…his kids. They had agreed not to dwell on any of those things until they got back to New York. They had an entire weekend before they had to go back to work and had decided they'd put together a plan of "attack" when they got settled.

Olivia knew he was right, and she nodded, trying to relax. "You're right."

"OK." Elliot pushed himself off the credenza and leaned over, kissing her gently on the lips. He pulled away. "One hour." He said. "Then…back to reality." He winked at her. "A whole new reality."


	23. Chapter 23

It only took the cab ride from La Guardia to Manhattan for reality to set back in.

"Now I know why people don't go on vacation." Olivia said as they sat in bumper to bumper traffic. She had lived in New York her entire life and had always accepted it as a part of life. But now, she was on edge. Of course, she was smart enough to know that it wasn't just the cold and noise and congestion that was getting to her. It was all the uncertainty that lay ahead.

Elliot squeezed her hand gently. He knew exactly what was going through her head right now. "It's going to be okay Liv." He said in a low tone. "We'll figure it out." He gave her hand another squeeze. "Together."

Olivia nodded, letting out a sigh. She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. It had been a long day. Packing…airport delays…a long flight…and she was tired. She wanted this interminable ride to end, but she didn't want to get home. That was when the real world would push its way to the forefront. Unpacking, laundry, bills, grocery shopping…all the things she hated. Just the thought of her empty apartment depressed her. She opened her eyes. "Are you going to try to see your kids tonight? Or tomorrow morning?" Elliot had told her that he'd be back at her place on Saturday afternoon, and even though it would probably be less than 24 hours from now, it seemed like forever. They had been inseparable for days now, and somehow being apart for even a few hours seemed untenable.

"Kathleen said she was going to stop by. It's Friday night, so she's going out." Elliot said. "I'll head out to Queens in the morning to see Eli and see if Dickie and Liz are around." He shook his head. "Don't know about Mo. You know, she's got her own life now. A real job…a serious boyfriend…" He saw Olivia was looking out the window, and he knew she was only half-listening. "Hey…" He repeated it until she turned to face him. "I'm not going to say anything to the kids or Kathy until after we talk and decide how we want to move forward."

Olivia nodded, but her jaw was set. She had this feeling that everyone was going to be able to tell that something had changed between them; that others would be able to read it on their faces. She knew it was ridiculous. They both were forced to play roles all the time with witnesses and suspects and perps, so this should be a snap. But it still niggled at her. "I know."

Even though Olivia was agreeing with everything he said, Elliot could feel her coiled tension. He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. Then he rested their joined hands on his upper thigh. "It's going to be okay." He said, for what seemed like the twentieth time since they had checked out of the hotel. "Relax."

Olivia bridled at his comment. She was pretty sure that no one every relaxed when told to do so. She had a snarky reply on her tongue, but she snapped her mouth shut. She knew she was being difficult, and she had to get control of herself. There were difficult discussions ahead of them, and they had to go back to work on Monday. She squeezed Elliot's hand and gave him a strained smile, and then turned and looked back out the window. "I'm trying."

EOEOEOEO

Olivia looked at the clock.

3:10AM.

Five minutes later than the last time she looked.

She sat up slightly and punched the pillow into a ball before she fell back into it. The night had been maddening. She was exhausted but had been sleeping fitfully all night so far. She'd lived alone and slept alone for years…had even preferred it…and now, she couldn't help but think about empty and cold her bed felt.

She reached over and grabbed her phone off the nightstand, looking to see if Elliot had messaged her with a similar complaint. She hadn't heard the tone for an incoming text, but she still felt a stab of disappointment when she didn't see any notifications. She debated texting him, but she didn't want to wake him if he was asleep. Finally, she let out a small grunt of frustration and flipped over, still clasping her phone in her hand as she tucked it beneath her pillow and lay down.

Olivia tried to turn off her mind, but memories of the week in Florida wouldn't give her a minute's peace. It wasn't that they were horrible memories, but it was only making her miss Elliot more…and also making her a little worked up. She must have flipped around back and forth five times when she heard a noise. The sound caught her by surprise, and she sat up, actively listening. On instinct, she reached over with her left hand and slid the drawer in her nightstand open quietly, feeling for her gun. The moment her fingers met steel she heard the noise again. It was a knock on her door.

Olivia's brows furrowed. She lived in a secure building. No one should be at her door unless she buzzed them in. Or someone else buzzed them in. Or they snuck in. She had an immediate image of Adam pop into her head, which was absolutely ridiculous. She slipped out of bed and grabbed her gun, walking quietly towards the door. As she neared the door, she heard another soft knock, and she realized she was being an idiot. It had to be Elliot. Her sleep-deprived brain obviously wasn't functioning, and her cop instincts had kicked in.

Olivia checked the peephole, just to make certain. She could only see Elliot's head, and he was looking down at the ground. She reached for the lock, quickly unbolting the door. She saw that Elliot had his keys in his hands, and his head jerked up as she swung the door open.

"You weren't thinking of breaking into my apartment, were you?" She teased.

"It's not breaking in if I have a key." Elliot counter, giving her a grin.

"You think you can just let yourself in whenever you want?" Olivia asked, resting her right hand on her hip as the braced the other against the door. She had a small smile on her face, loving the fact that Elliot was standing outside her door in the middle of the night.

"Hell yeah…" Elliot walked over the threshold, pushing the door open with his arm. His movement forced Olivia to take a step back, but before she could get too far, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back towards him. "My girlfriend lives here." He planted a kiss on her lips before he released her, holding her steady for a moment as she regained her footing. He looked down at her, and took in her tank top and pajama shorts, and wondered if she'd actually been sleeping. "Did I wake you?"

"No." Olivia said, sliding the palm of her hand inside his partially unzipped jacket and flattening it against his chest. "I couldn't sleep."

"Me either." Elliot confessed. He unzipped his jacket and slipped it off, letting it drop to the floor. He placed a hand on either shoulder. "It's going to sound crazy, but I couldn't sleep without you."

"It's not crazy." Olivia said, happy that Elliot had confessed first. She slipped her hand in Elliot's and started leading him towards the bedroom. "But I don't get why things have changed. Usually, I like to sleep alone. I'm used to it. I _prefer_ it." She said, mumbling more to herself than to Elliot.

Elliot smiled to himself, wondering if Olivia even realized she was talking out loud. If she was half as delirious with fatigue as he was, he doubted it. "Obviously things have changed." He offered.

"We'll see." Olivia said. She would like to think that she could maintain a bit of her independence and not rely on Elliot for sleeping. But that was a conversation for another day. Right now, she needed to sleep.

Olivia didn't stop when she got to her bed. She dropped Elliot's hand as she climbed back into the spot she had so recently vacated. The sheets had cooled, and she pulled up the blankets and snuggled into the pillow.

Elliot walked around the bed and pulled his shirt over his head and dropped his jeans to the floor. He was as exhausted as Olivia appeared to be, and he slid into the bare side of the bed, pulling the covers up. Olivia was rolled over on her side with her back to him, and he rolled over towards her. She didn't make a move to get closer to him, and he moved over a few inches and slid his arm over her hip. "Come here." He said softly.

"I'm OK right here." Olivia said, smiling into her pillow.

"I didn't come all the way over here to sleep alone." Elliot said.

"All the way?" Olivia asked. "You live ten blocks away. And you're not sleeping alone."

"You know what I mean." He slid his arm further down around her waist and pulled her back up against him. She let out a small gasp, obviously surprised. She got her revenge by planting her ass firmly against his crotch and wiggling slightly, and he put a hand on her hip to push her forward to create a small gap. "Don't." He said. He was tired, but he wasn't _that_ tired.

"You said you wanted me to lay next to you, and now you're pushing me away?" Olivia teased.

"I want you to _sleep_ next to me." He said, slipping his fingers beneath the hem of her tank top and pressing the palm of his hand against her stomach.

"I _am_ trying to go to sleep." Olivia said. "You're the one that has your hands all over me."

"That's because you're so damned irresistible." Elliot said, burying his face in her hair. "You smell fantastic." He sighed. "Good night."

Olivia laughed lightly. "Good night." She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, settling into her pillow again. The heat from Elliot's hands was seeping into her skin, and she found herself focused on the way he was moving his fingers against her skin. She was so tired, and yet, she wanted to feel his skin against hers.

Only a few minutes had passed but Elliot wasn't feeling as tired anymore. His mind was on other things. "Are you sleeping?" He whispered into her ear as his fingers teased the elastic of her cotton shorts.

Olivia let out a small sigh, and lifted her head slightly, melting back against him. "Not yet." She whispered back. "I thought you came over here so we could get some rest."

"I'm not a saint." Elliot said, snagging the waistband of her shorts more firmly and dragging them down her hip. He brushed his lips against the bare skin of her shoulder. "Tell me no." He said between kisses, but she didn't have to say a thing as she lifted her hips slightly. He felt her bare skin as he slid them down completely, moving his hand back up until he was cupping her bare ass. "Maybe you were expecting me?" He asked, biting down lightly on her shoulder.

"Maybe I was hoping…"

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia heard Elliot making noise in the kitchen, and she glanced at the clock. 10:10AM. She sat up, surprised she had slept so late. Then again…she hadn't gotten to sleep until after 4 sometime.

She slipped out of bed and grabbed her robe from where she had draped it over the chair in her room. Once she had that wrapped around her, she padded out to the kitchen. Elliot was pouring himself a glass of orange juice when he looked up at her.

"I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's okay." Olivia said. She walked into Elliot's embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I can go back to bed." She lifted her head to look up at him. "Do you have to go?" She could envision a long, lazy day tangled with Elliot in bed.

"Don't tempt me." He said, rocking gently. "But I have to get my ass out to Queens." He kissed her on the forehead. "I want to see the kids. I missed them."

"I know." Olivia pulled away. "I know I have to share." She hadn't meant to sound so needy. She had intended to try to keep things relaxed when they got back, until they had a chance to really talk through what they wanted to do…how they wanted to move forward…if they wanted to move forward.

Of course, _if _probably wasn't a question any longer.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." Elliot said. He leaned in and kissed her. "Okay?"

"Just take your time." She said. "I'm going to unpack and do laundry and maybe run a few errands." She shrugged slightly. "Maybe we can spend the day together tomorrow." She didn't want him to feel rushed with his kids, and she didn't want him to think she couldn't manage an afternoon without him.

"I'm not invited back tonight?" Elliot asked.

Olivia slapped him playfully on the chest. "Just call me later."

Elliot nodded and kissed her again and headed towards the door.

Olivia turned quickly. "Hey." She said, catching him with his hand on the doorknob. "What are you going to say to Kathy?" She could feel her heart starting to race slightly. They hadn't made any decisions purposefully, but now it felt odd for him to see Kathy. Surely, she was going to have questions about them gong on vacation together. She'd probably had questions before they'd left. They weren't married anymore but that didn't mean she didn't still love Elliot. And she'd always been the other woman, despite never having crossed the line, or even coming close.

"Liv…don't worry." Elliot. "Kathy's not an idiot. Hell, even last night, Kathleen was giving me shit about having waited so damned long."

"You told Kathleen?" She felt a little annoyed, but he interrupted her. "You didn't tell me that."

"I didn't have to tell her anything." Elliot said, letting go of the door and turning back towards her. "It seems like everyone knew how we felt, even though neither one of us was ready to admit it."

"But…" Olivia's mind was reeling.

Elliot walked back to where she was standing. He leaned in and kissed her again. "Don't worry about it, okay?" He kissed her once more and headed back towards the door. "I'll be back before you know it, and then we can talk."

"But…"

"Relax." He opened the door. "I love you."

"I love you too." She whispered. But he was already gone.


	24. Chapter 24

Elliot thought about Olivia's question all the way to Queens. _What are you going to tell Kathy?_ He had been surprised by Kathleen's good-natured ribbing the night before, and knowing the women in his life, he assumed she had shared her assumptions with Maureen, and maybe even Kathy. But he really had no idea what she might think about he and Olivia entering into any kind of physical relationship. Of course, they weren't married any longer, and either one of them could do whatever they pleased. But he still harbored some guilt over falling in love with his partner. Especially because it was something that Kathy had worried about off and on over the years, depending on how rocky things were at home.

He pulled up in front of the house, and memories of different times washed over him, as they always did. It wasn't regret. He had come to terms with the fact that he had done the best that he could, and he knew they were in a better place being apart. He hated that he wasn't at home for Eli, but he and Kathy had both agreed that living a lie wasn't healthy for him either.

Elliot got out of the car, and he smiled as he saw Eli standing at the door, waving at him enthusiastically. His heart swelled, and he rushed up to the door, opening it quickly and scooping Eli into his arms. He hugged him to him, and Eli squealed with delight as he threw his arms around his father's neck.

"He missed you." Kathy said, and Elliot looked up and saw her standing just a few feet away.

"I missed him too." He leaned in and gave Kathy a kiss on the cheek as she came closer. Eli wiggled from his arms and ran off to play and Elliot laughed. "I guess that was it." He looked around. "Where are Dickie and Liz?"

"Still sleeping." Kathy said, looking at her watch. "It's Saturday morning and they were both out last night."

"Anything I need to know about?" Elliot asked, warning bells going off in his head.

"They're teenagers Elliot." Kathy said, rolling her eyes at him. "They were just out with their friends." She headed back towards the kitchen and he followed her. She poured him a cup of coffee and handed it to him, and they took up opposite positions at the kitchen table.

Kathy rested her elbows on the table and took a sip of her coffee, looking over at him. "So?"

Elliot raised one eyebrow, unsure of what she was asking. "So…what?"

Kathy set her mug down and cocked her head slightly. "Are you going to make me ask?"

Elliot hasn't expected Kathy to be so forthright, and he wasn't sure what to say. His hesitancy made Kathy smile again, and she shook her head.

"It's okay." She said. "I'm not an idiot." She cocked her head. "Unless you want to tell me that this trip was purely plutonic?"

Elliot felt his skin flush. It was very uncomfortable to have his wife…ex-wife…thinking about him having a sexual relationship with another woman…especially one that had caused her some distress over the years. Just like he didn't want to think about her having intimate relationships with other men. Not that he didn't think it was going to happen; he just didn't want to think about it.

"It's okay." Kathy said again. "I'm not asking you for details." She took another sip of coffee, keeping her eyes focused on the mug as she lowered it back to the table. "I'm kind of surprised it took this long."

Elliot was surprised by her comment. It confirmed that she knew that he hadn't been unfaithful, despite some biting comments and accusations during some of their more heated arguments. That made him breathe a little easier but didn't put him completely at ease. He may not have cheated physically, but he'd certainly had an emotional relationship with Olivia. He would always wonder if it contributed to the demise of his marriage in some way.

"Elliot?" Kathy asked.

He looked up at her, and realized he'd been quiet for way too long. "Yeah." He said. "Kath…I never…" He sighed. "We never…"

Kathy raised her hand. "I'm not interested in rehashing the past." She said. "We had a good marriage. We both made mistakes along the way, just like in every other relationship. But we were smart enough to know when it was over…before things got too acrimonious. It's why we're in such a good place now, and why we can work together to raise our children."

Elliot nodded. The decision to split had been after many discussions, accusations and arguments, until they had agreed to a path forward. He didn't want to rehash it either. "You're right."

Kathy smiled. "I never get tired of hearing you say that." She ran her finger around the rim of her coffee cup and then she looked back up at him. "Do you think you'll get married?"

Elliot could hear the hesitancy in her voice, as if she were unsure she wanted to hear the answer. He understood. Despite everything they'd said, it would still be hard to hear that the other was moving on. Marriage would be the most difficult to adjust to. "I'm not even sure where we'll be tomorrow." Elliot said honestly. "We haven't really talked about anything."

Kathy nodded. "It's okay." She said. "Whatever happens." She shrugged slightly. "I think I'd like to get married again someday."

"Yeah?" Elliot knew that he'd struggle with that…with another man in the house with his children…but that was bridge they'd have to cross when they got there. Ultimately, he wanted her to be happy. "I hope so."

"Dad!"

Elliot turned and saw his youngest daughter come around the corner. He loved the huge smile on her face. "Hey baby girl." He stood up and wrapped her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." She said, pulling back to look up at him. "Did you have a nice trip with Olivia?"

He saw the sly smile on her face, and he shook his head. It seemed everyone was on the same page. "I did." He said. "Now, tell me what _you_ did last night."

EOEOEOEO

Olivia had gone back to bed after Elliot had left, but she'd only slept for an hour. She'd been able to unpack, get her laundry done, pay some bills and run to the market. She looked at her watch and saw it was only a little after 4. She was kind of surprised that she hadn't heard from Elliot, but she had no idea what he was planning with his kids. She couldn't imagine that he wouldn't come over to her place tonight, but she knew she had to plan for an evening alone. She kept telling herself it would be good to have some space, but really, she just wanted to enjoy as much time as she could with Elliot before they had to go back to work.

Still, she wasn't going to text him. She wasn't going to be needy. If he was having fun with his kids, then good for him. And if he wanted some space, she'd give it to him.

She looked at her watch at least four more times in the next hour, telling herself it meant nothing as she cleaned her apartment.

When her phone noted an incoming text, she felt her heartbeat quicken and she laughed at herself. She was hopeless. She told herself to finish wiping down the bathroom counter; she didn't want to appear too eager. But when her phone pinged again, she knew she couldn't wait. She pulled her phone from her back pocket of her jeans and looked at the incoming message. She was surprised to see it was from Alex…not Elliot. Disappointment washed over her, and she scolded herself again. She opened the message.

_Hey. I think you're back. Anxious to hear about trip. Up for a drink? Or lunch tomorrow?_

Olivia clenched her jaw. It would be fun to see Alex, but she wasn't ready to answer a bunch of questions. Especially since she wasn't certain what the answers were.

Olivia looked at her watch and saw it was already a little after 5. She found she was a little annoyed with Elliot now. He had left mid-morning; surely, he could have given her some idea of what was going on by now. She reopened the text from Alex. _Can we meet up next week sometime? Just getting unpacked and settled. _Olivia got a reply almost right away, and she was glad that Alex seemed to understand.

Still…she didn't think she could hang around this apartment until Elliot decided to show up. She had to get out of this apartment, or she was going to jump out of her skin. She put a hand over her stomach, looking in the bathroom mirror.

_She was going to go to the gym._

She'd been eating and drinking and laying around for a week…a workout would make her feel better.

Olivia chucked the wet paper towels into the garbage can and headed to her bedroom to get changed.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot had taken Eli to the park for a while, and when they'd gotten back, Dickie was up. He offered to take he and Liz out for pizza, and both happily agreed, but he had to wait for them to shower and get ready. While he waited, he sat and played on the living room floor with Eli. He enjoyed being in the house amidst the chaos…Eli running around him in circles…the twins playing music and fighting over the bathroom…and Kathy moving around the house, keeping the din to a low roar. He found himself thinking of sharing a place with Olivia, and he wondered if she still wanted a baby…a family. It made him pause, wondering if he was up for it. Eli nose-dived into his laugh, giggling as he tried to tackle him, and Elliot realized how much he wanted this with Olivia.

They had waited so long. There was really no reason to wait any longer. Neither one of the was getting any younger. He could see the future laid out before them…and it made him smile.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia locked her door and headed towards the stairway, sliding her coat on over her workout clothes as she hit the top stair. She was just stepping off the last stair in the lobby of her building when she saw Elliot walk through the door. She stopped short, a mixture of annoyance and happiness swirling through her body. Unfortunately, the annoyance was winning.

"Hey." Elliot said brightly.

"Hey." Olivia said, keeping her tone neutral.

Elliot walked towards her, intent on kissing her, but her body language was off, so he stopped a few feet away from her. "Going somewhere?" He saw her leggings and sports bra, covered by a loose tank top.

"I'm going to the gym."

"Oh." Elliot said, hearing a bit of annoyance in the tone of her voice. "I thought we were gonna hang out. Maybe have dinner." That was the last thing he remembered discussing with her. It hadn't been a specific plan, but she had seemed anxious to have him come back when he was finished in Queens.

Olivia shrugged. "I hadn't heard from you. I was tired of sitting around."

"You _told_ me to take my time." Elliot said. He tried to keep the anger out of his voice, but she was being unreasonable. "You _told_ me to come back when I was done."

Olivia shook her head slightly and looked down, drawing in a deep breath. She knew she had said those things, but she'd been feeling on edge all afternoon. She couldn't explain it and it was frustrating. "I know but I just…" A couple of people walked into the apartment lobby and she stopped talking until they had disappeared into the elevator. "I'm going to the gym." She said, brushing past Elliot.

Elliot spun around and snagged her arm. "Hey, wait a minute."

Olivia stopped, but she didn't turn around. She expected Elliot to release her, but he didn't, so she turned and looked back at him with a heavy sigh.

"What's going on?" Elliot asked.

"Nothing." Olivia rolled her shoulder back, trying to pull her arm from Elliot's grasp. He removed his hold reluctantly, but she stayed I place. "I just want to go to the gym." She said, as if it had been her plan all along. "I haven't been in over a week."

"It can't wait one more day?" Elliot asked. He'd been so anxious to get back to her, and he hated to see her leave.

"I'm supposed to just sit around and wait for you to show up?"

"What?" Elliot furrowed his brows together. "I don't know where this is coming from."

Olivia let out a heavy sigh and turned on her heel, headed towards the door. She was stopped by Elliot's hand on her arm again.

"Liv."

Olivia whirled around again, forcibly pulling her arm from his grasp. "What are we doing?" She asked.

Elliot was startled by her words and the force of her question. "I don't understand…"

"This isn't me." Olivia said. "I sat around today, waiting for you to call me or text me or come over. I couldn't figure out what to do. I wasn't interested in doing anything." She huffed out a breath. "I even turned down a drink with Alex…" She looked back and forth between Elliot's eyes. "That isn't me." She shook her head. "My entire life…I haven't needed _anyone_."

Elliot saw her distress, and he understood it now. "Hey…" He said softly, taking a step closer. "I know that a lot has changed in a really short time." He reached for her hand, but she shrank back slightly, and he let it drop by his side. He didn't want to push her. He waited a beat. "Can we go upstairs and talk?"

"I'm going to the gym." Olivia said.

Elliot understood her need to control the situation. "OK." He said. He knew he needed to let her go if he had any hope of getting her back. He saw her hesitate for a moment and he realized he must have shocked her with his response.

Olivia wasn't sure how to respond, so she turned and headed for the door, confusion swarming through her. She wanted to leave, and she didn't want to leave, and it made her feel even more conflicted than she already was. But she had told Elliot that she was leaving…and she needed to follow through. Just to prove that she could. She reached for the door, but not before Elliot called out to her.

"I'll be here when you get back."


	25. Chapter 25

Olivia walked out of the gym, and the cold winter air hit her like she'd been slapped. She had worked up quite a sweat at the gym and had walked out without her jacket, but now she shrugged it on as she looked up and down the street. She thought that maybe she should take a cab before a chill set in, but she hoped the walk and the brisk air would help her clear her head. Or focus her thoughts. Her workout had been intense as she tried to focus on the physicality of what she was doing, but her traitorous mind had been all over the place.

She set out for home, wondering if Elliot was still there. He had said that he'd be waiting, but almost two hours would have passed by the time she made it to her place, and that seemed like a long time for him to sit in her apartment alone.

Still…he was a stubborn SOB sometimes.

If she was being honest, she hoped that he was there. Because if he wasn't…she knew, that would be it. That whatever was going on between them would be over. The idea of that scared her, but she was even more afraid of the potential future that awaited them. She had no idea how to navigate the changes or how to even decide what those changes should be.

Elliot seemed to know, or at least, seemed to have some idea. She could tell by the confidence he had. Both in Florida and since they'd been back.

He would think her a fool, and she probably was. She had finally gotten that which she had coveted for so long.

Maybe that was the problem.

It had been _too_ long.

Maybe it would be too hard to change things now.

Olivia shook her head and let out a groan of frustration. She had sabotaged every other relationship she'd been in…telling herself it was because of the one man she wanted desperately. And now, she had a shot at this. The only thing she had to do was to NOT screw it up.

Elliot loved her.

She loved him.

_It should be so easy._

Olivia came to a sudden stop. She'd been so distracted and had been walking so quickly, she had almost walked right past her own apartment building. She glanced up at her apartment and could see light peeking out from beneath the blinds. But it wasn't a giveaway, because she was pretty sure she'd left the lights on herself.

She hesitated before she walked into the building. When she'd left for the gym, Elliot's words had been echoing in her head. I'll be waiting.

She had promised herself that she'd sort things out before she returned.

She had failed miserably.

Olivia breathed in deeply, hoping that she could kick her fear and uncertainty to the side.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot had tried not to let his imagination run wild in the time that Olivia had been gone. But it had been a couple of hours already…

He heard a key in the lock, and he jumped up from the couch, switching off the hockey game he'd been watching. He waited with bated breath, unsure of which Olivia was going to walk through the door, and what her reaction would be to him still being there.

Olivia walked through the door and dropped her gym bag on the floor as she closed the door behind her. "Hey." She said, standing in the foyer. Elliot was standing in her living room, and he looked a little unsure. She supposed she could understand that. She had left the poor man with such mixed messages. "It smells good in here." She glanced towards the kitchen and saw that Elliot must have been cooking.

"I thought you might be hungry." Elliot said. He wanted to walk towards her, but he stayed rooted in place for the moment.

Olivia nodded. "I am." She shrugged off her coat and hung it on the coatrack in the corner, hating the awkwardness between them. Especially in her own apartment. She took a few steps until she reached the edge of the couch.

"You look cold." Elliot said, noting her reddened cheeks and hands. He furrowed his brows together. "Did you walk?"

Olivia nodded. "Yeah."

Elliot wasn't sure how to respond, so he stayed in safe territory. "I would have thought that after working out, you'd be exhausted and want a ride." He took in her workout gear in his peripheral vision, trying not to think about the way the spandex hugged her body.

"I needed to clear my head."

Elliot just nodded, trying to keep his expression neutral. "And?"

"I'm afraid it didn't help." Olivia said, surprised by her own honesty.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Elliot couldn't read her, and it was bothering him. When she didn't respond or make any motion to move closer or farther away, he forged ahead carefully. "Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?"

Olivia opened her mouth but paused slightly before answering. "I don't know." She shifted on her feet and tugged at her loose tank top.

Elliot could sense her unease. "How about you take a warm shower to get rid of the chill and I'll finish up dinner."

Olivia felt herself relax slightly. It was clear that Elliot was being cautious, and it seemed he wasn't going to push her tonight. She nodded and headed towards her bedroom, anxious to get cleaned up and get warm.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot finished putting the last of the clean dishes into the cupboard. He turned and leaned against the counter, watching as Olivia drained the water in the sink. Dinner had been pleasant…cordial…but they had kept the discussion to an update on the kids and his afternoon with them. She hadn't asked about his conversation with Kathy, and he hadn't given her any information she hadn't asked for. He didn't want to push her; history had proven nothing good ever had ever come of that. But he hated the fact that throughout the entire evening, he hadn't touched her or kissed her. Even when they'd stood side by side at the sink, she'd kept some space between them.

He looked at his watch and saw it was only 830. But it had been a long day, and he was exhausted. The environment here wasn't helping. He waited until Olivia turned around, leaning against the counter in roughly the same pose he had adopted. "I think I'm going to head home." He said.

Olivia was surprised, even though she knew she shouldn't be. She had been keeping her distance, even though she hadn't consciously made a decision to do so. "Oh."

Elliot heard the surprise in her tone. _Ask me to stay._ She just had to say the words. "It's been a long day. I'm going to turn in early tonight."

Olivia nodded. She was still tired from the night before, and the emotional roller coaster she'd been riding all day had drained her.

Elliot was disappointed that she didn't object, but he'd made up his mind that he wasn't going to leave without a hug and a kiss. Even a chaste kiss would be better than leaving without a single touch.

What a difference twelve hours made…

He pushed himself off the counter but hesitated. There were only a few feet between them, but it seemed like a vast amount of space. But Olivia didn't shrink away, or turn to leave the kitchen, so he walked over to where she was standing. He placed his hands on her shoulders and then ran them down her arms. "Well. Good night." He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. As he started to pull away, she slipped her arms around his waist and pulled him towards her, laying her cheek against his chest. He hesitated a moment, but then wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair.

Olivia could feel Elliot's heartbeat, and for the first time since this morning, she felt at peace. She drew in a slow breath and folded herself into him more fully, exhaling just as slowly. They stood like this for what felt like a long time, and she knew Elliot was going to pull away soon and head out the door. She didn't want that. "Stay." She said softly.

Elliot closed his eyes, relief coursing through him. He hadn't known if he'd have the courage to leave, even if she hadn't stopped him. He didn't want another sleepless night, thinking about all the ways this could go wrong or all the things he could have if this went right.

"Please. Stay." Olivia repeated herself when Elliot didn't respond. She felt his arms tighten around her as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. She took that as confirmation and she relaxed even more, happy when Elliot began to rock softly, holding her in his arms.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia was happy that Elliot had complied with her request, but she there was still uneasiness in the air. It had been too early for bed, so they'd finally agreed to watch some TV. But even now, she was at one end of the couch and he was at the other, and they seemed to take turns glancing over when they thought the other wasn't looking. She felt like she owed him an explanation. Or maybe an apology.

Maybe something in between.

"El…" She glanced over at him and waited a beat until he turned to face her. "I know I'm being…" Her voice trailed off as she tried to come up with the right word.

Elliot gave her a full thirty seconds before he finished her sentence. "Difficult?" Elliot supplied, raising one eyebrow.

"I'm not being difficult." Olivia responded. She rolled her shoulders forward while she pressed her lips together. "I'm…" She shook her head, at a loss for conveying how she was feeling right now.

"Stubborn?" Elliot offered.

"Are you trying to piss me off?" Olivia asked, furrowing her brows as she shifted on the couch to look more directly at him.

"No." Elliot said. "I'm trying to get you to talk to me."

"And you think insulting me is the way to do it?"

"You're talking to me, aren't you?"

"This isn't talking." Olivia said angrily.

"You've just said more to me than you have since I got here."

"That's not true." Olivia snapped back. "We talked all through dinner." She said, waving towards the kitchen.

"That was me talking and you listening." Elliot turned his body more towards hers and leaned forward slightly. "Besides…you know what I mean."

Olivia glanced down at her hands, clasped in her lap, and then back up at Elliot. "What do you want me to say?"

Elliot could see the fear in her eyes, and he wondered if she really wanted him to answer her question honestly. But he didn't feel like he had a choice. "I want you to tell me what happened this afternoon."

"Nothing happened this afternoon." Olivia said.

"Forget it." Elliot said, and he didn't hide his annoyance or frustration. He pushed himself off the couch and turned away from her.

"What? You're leaving?" Olivia said as he walked towards the door.

Elliot whirled back quickly and saw her standing by the couch. "Yeah. I'm leaving."

"But…" Olivia didn't want him to leave.

"But what?" Elliot asked, cutting her off before she could say anything else. He was riled up now. "Huh?" He took a few steps back in her direction. "But what?" He shook his head. "I've tried to be patient Olivia." He said. "From the moment I got here today, I've been patient. You said you were going to the gym, I let you go. I got groceries…made dinner…waited here for hours…waiting for you to come back." He paced back and forth a few steps and then stopped and turned back towards her. "Did I badger you when you got back?" He shook his head. "No. I just let you be. Followed your lead. Gave you your space."

"El…" Olivia tried to interrupt.

"No. You had your chance to talk." Elliot said. He realized how confrontational he'd become…how loud and angry. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "I'm not asking you for much here." He said in a softer tone. "I just need to know what's going through your mind right now, because when I left you this morning, everything was great, and when I came back this afternoon, everything had gone to shit."

"You're exaggerating."

"Maybe so." Elliot admitted. "But something changed." She had admitted her struggle when he'd met her in the lobby, but then she had escaped…and he'd let her go. But now, they needed to come full circle and take this head on. He couldn't ride this rollercoaster with her. Never knowing where he stood or where her head was. He watched as she put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes, almost as if she was preparing for battle. He took another half-step forward. "Just talk to me and tell me what was going through your mind today."

Olivia didn't want to fight with Elliot. It was just her natural reaction to dealing with him and the things she didn't want to deal with or talk about. It usually worked…sending him in the opposite direction and letting her get away without having to really work through any of it. But this time was different. He wasn't throwing up his arms in exasperation and storming away from her. He wasn't yelling at her and making a hasty exit once he'd had an opportunity to express his anger and frustration. He was being patient…keeping his cool.

He wasn't running away from her.

He was moving towards her.

The thought caught her off-guard, the recognition of this profound shift in their relationship hitting her fully. A small gasp escaped from between her lips as she saw the earnestness in his eyes. She lifted a hand to her mouth, dropping the other at her side.

"What?" Elliot asked, concern in his voice.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I'm so sorry." She watched his expression change from concern to something more guarded, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I just…I realized how much I wanted you to be here. How empty the day felt without you. And it…it just scared me." She said, surprised by her own admission. "I've spent a lifetime taking care of myself. Of relying on myself. Of not needing anyone else." She had looked away during her confession, but now she looked back at him squarely in the eye.

Elliot wanted to tell her that she had always been able to rely on him, but he knew that wasn't always true, so he held his tongue.

"Maybe it's better if we just go back to before." She shook her head. "If we leave what happened in Florida...in Florida."

"No." Elliot said. "That's not going to happen. And I know that's not what you want."

"What happens if things don't work out. Then I have nothing."

"I think I've been pretty clear about what I want Olivia." Elliot said. "I have no intention of ever leaving you. At least, not while I still have a breath in my body." She seemed to be listening, but she didn't say anything, and didn't make any move towards him. He could feel his frustration and anger just beneath the surface. "Jesus Liv. It's really simple. I love you. You love me. What else matters?"

"It's not always that simple." She said. "And sometimes it isn't enough." She could rattle of plenty of examples where love had ended in tragedy, or at the very least, produced all kinds of unexpected outcomes. She wanted to point out to Elliot that he had loved Kathy, and that it hadn't been enough. There was so much at stake here, and they'd been reckless in diving into this sexual part of their relationship. The reality of that was hitting her more and more.

Elliot was dumbfounded. "Is that what you really believe?" He shook his head. "So…what? You just slept with me for what? For fun? You planned on pulling the plug when we got back to New York?" He knew that wasn't true, or she wouldn't have welcomed him so openly the night before. She was just scared, and he hated that all the things that had happened to her in her life had made her feel unworthy of love.

"No." Olivia said adamantly. She knew she wasn't making any sense. She wasn't making any sense to herself either, but she couldn't seem to sort through or communicate how she was feeling. "I would never do that."

"That's what your doing now." Elliot said.

"I wouldn't do that." Olivia said, moving around the coffee table and putting some more space between them. She turned back to face Elliot. "I'm not saying that I don't love you." Olivia said emphatically. "I'm just asking that we take a breath and make sure…"

"Make sure?" Elliot asked. "Make sure?" He scrubbed a hand over his mouth, wondering how in the hell he could get through to her. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life Olivia." He said. "I want you. I want a life with you. I want…" He put up a hand, as if telling her to hold on. He headed towards her bedroom and disappeared.

Olivia furrowed her brows, wondering where the hell he was going. She heard him banging drawers closed, adding to her confusion, but then he reappeared. She saw he was holding her birth control pills in his hand.

"I want to marry you if you let me." He tossed the pills on the floor. "I want to have kids if that's still on the table. Whatever you want." He said. "Marriage or not, kids or not…we'll be a family Liv." He was yelling now, but he didn't care. "I don't know how I can be any clearer than that." He said. "So…get the hell out of your own head, listen to your goddamned heart and take a chance."

It was Olivia's turn to be dumbfounded now. Elliot had laid it all out on the line and she recognized how hard that must have been for him.

"I swear to God Olivia." Elliot said. "If I walk out that door…" The next thing Elliot knew, Olivia burst into tears. It was so unlike her and nothing he had expected, and it took him a second to even believe it was happening. But she was sobbing now…deep, heart wrenching sobs…and he rushed over to where she was standing and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his body. "I'm sorry." He said. "I'm not going to leave." He hated that he had pushed her over the edge. He felt her entire body shaking with the force of her sobs and he held her tighter, burying his face in her hair. They stood like that for several minutes, and he wondered what was going through her mind. He hated that he had threatened to leave, when so many had abandoned her in her life. "I'm sorry." He apologized again.

Olivia hated that she had broken down and she tried to regain her voice. She pushed against Elliot's chest slightly and he loosened his arms slightly. "Don't apologize." She said. He hadn't done anything wrong. "It's me. It's my issues." She swallowed hard and tried to swipe at her tears. "I've never wanted anything so badly…" She said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "And it scares me." She confessed, knowing she owed him that.

"I know you don't believe this, but you deserve it all." He thought about how heartlessly she gave of herself to everyone and everything. "And you don't have to be scared. I've got you." He heard Olivia sniffling, but she didn't say anything else. He loosened his arms a bit more and she took a half-step backwards. He reached down and put two fingers beneath her chin, lifting her face towards his. Her mascara was smeared, and her eyes and tip of her nose were red. "Are we done with all of this nonsense now?" He asked hopefully.

Olivia swallowed again as more tears streamed unbidden from her lower lashes. She saw the look of concern on Elliot's face, and she couldn't even speak. She simply nodded, hoping he understood just how much she meant it.

Elliot nodded along with her, feeling a small smile on his face. He brushed the tears from beneath her eyes with his thumbs, and then framed her face with his hands. "I love you." He said, right before he leaned in and kissed her.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia was nervous as they walked into the 16th precinct. They had discussed and debated how to approach this change with the squad and Cragen, but Elliot had ultimately won out. He didn't want to hide anything anymore, and he slid his hand into hers as they walked into the squad room.

Fin was the first to see them. "'Bout time you two showed up…" But his words trailed away as his eyes dropped to their conjoined hands. "Aw man." He said, shaking his head. "I knew it."

John swiveled around in his chair, wondering what Fin was referring to. He let out a sigh and fell back in his chair as Elliot and Olivia reached their desks. "Looks like you had a good vacation." He said, wiggling his eyebrows. Olivia felt her cheeks flush, and tried to slip her hand out of Elliot's, but he held on tightly.

"Captain in?" Elliot asked, never wavering as he looked at Fin and then at Munch. He squeezed Olivia's hand and glanced over at her. "We need to check in…give him an update."

"Man, our lives are about to change." Fin said, leaning back in his own chair.

"You have no idea." Elliot said. He glanced down at the hands, seeing the glint of the ring diamond he and Olivia had picked out the day before. "But we'll invite you to the wedding."


End file.
